UK woman plots with ex-Royal Marine lover to kill husband for ₹1.47 crore insurance payout, fakes armed break-in
Before the two settled on faking an armed robbery, Michelle and Berry had also thought of sliding sleeping pills into his drink and then smothering him with a pillow or putting foxgloves (extremely toxic) in his salad.
A woman in the United Kingdom is accused of hatching a plan to kill her soldier husband with the help of her ex-Royal Marine lover for £124,000 ( ₹1.47 crore) life insurance payout. The woman, identified as 46-year-old Michelle Mills, allegedly plotted a fake armed break-in to claim the insurance payout of her husband Christopher and begin a new life with her boyfriend, Geraint Berry.
Before the two settled on faking an armed robbery, Michelle and Berry had also thought of sliding sleeping pills into his drink and then smothering him with a pillow or putting foxgloves (extremely toxic) in his salad.
The pair allegedly planned to stage a fake armed break-in, using imitation guns, to murder her husband while he was staying in their holiday caravan at a picturesque countryside location. The fake robbery was also carried out a month after Christopher's life insurance policy had come into effect. Also Read | Honeymoon murder case: Chilling details emerge as police files chargesheet; Raja's brother demands severe punishment
The policy named Michelle as the sole beneficiary of a £124,000 payout in the event of his death.
Prosecutor Jonathan Rees KC said, “Michelle Mills and Geraint Berry had embarked on a secret sexual relationship which, on Geraint Berry's part at least, had become increasingly intense. Berry, encouraged on by Michelle Mills, had become increasingly occupied by hostile thoughts about Christopher Mills.”
To carry out their plan, Berry recruited fellow soldier Steven Thomas. Also Read | Black magic, fake ghost, and manipulation: The sinister tale of Meerut love triangle that killed Saurabh Rajput
The plan went awry when Christopher Mills overpowered them, disarmed both, and forced them to flee and hide in the bushes.
The court was told that as the plan was botched, Michelle texted Berry that read: “Police have been called. Get away. Delete all contact on both phones. I love you.”
Michelle Mills later told police that the plan to kill her husband was merely a "fantasy." She insisted she never intended for him to be harmed, describing the idea of killing him as “just a fantasy she could escape to.”
During interrogation, Michelle told police that she felt she couldn’t leave her husband, fearing she would “end up on the street” with nothing.
Rees said, “She said she was concerned that if she left Christopher Mills he would sell up everything they owned and she would have been left with nothing.”