UK Woman Jailed For 19 Years After Plotting Husband's Murder With Secret Lover

A woman in the UK who conspired with her secret lover to kill her husband in hopes of starting a new life together has been sentenced to 19 years in prison. As per the Guardian, Michelle Mills, 46, and her lover Geraint Berry, 47, plotted the murder of Christopher Mills to keep their affair going. Berry then enlisted Steven Thomas, also 47, to help carry out the attack on September 20 last year. They were found guilty of conspiracy to murder after a trial at Swansea Crown Court in October.

The Plot

The pair met while working at a veterans' homeless charity and began an affair in June 2024. Over three months, they exchanged messages discussing various ways to kill Christopher, including poisoning his gravy with antifreeze or smothering him with a pillow.

The Attack

On September 20, 2024, Berry and his accomplice, Steven Thomas, staged a masked "home invasion" at the couple's caravan in Cenarth, Carmarthenshire. They intended to kill Christopher and make his death appear to be a suicide. The attackers wore imitation handguns, gas masks, and carried pliers and cable ties in a rucksack.

However, Christopher, an Army veteran, fought back against the masked attackers, wrestling away their imitation firearms despite being bludgeoned in the face. After the attack, Michelle Mills called 999, reporting her husband's head injury and stating she didn't know the armed intruders.

Police discovered incriminating deleted text messages and a forged suicide note found with Berry during his arrest. Shortly after the attack, Michelle texted Berry to "delete all communications".

Sentencing

Michelle Mills was sentenced to 19 years in prison for conspiracy to murder, along with a concurrent sentence of 18 months for perverting the course of justice. Geraint Berry received 19 years for conspiracy to murder and a concurrent 18-month sentence for possession of an imitation firearm. Steven Thomas was acquitted of conspiracy to murder but was sentenced to 12 months for a firearms offence, which he had already served while on remand.

 Justice Nicklin KC said, "Together with Michelle Mills you planned to kill Christopher Mills. You devised the plan and led its execution. You recruited Steven Thomas to assist you and while intoxicated, you equipped yourself with items that demonstrated your intention to kill Mr Mills and make it appear to be a suicide. However incompetent the plan was and how unlikely it was to be achieved, your intention was to kill."

In victim impact statements presented in court, Christopher expressed his ongoing struggle to come to terms with the "cold and calculated" nature of the plot against him. He said he was devastated to learn that his wife had been having an affair. He shared that the attack had deeply changed him, leaving him anxious, constantly on edge, and unable to trust others.