Shocking police bodycam footage captured the moment a wife laughed as officers arrested her for a meticulously planned plot to murder her husband, a scheme concocted with her secret lover to cash in on a £124,000 life insurance policy.
The Caravan Ambush and a Husband's Fight for Life
The twisted plan unravelled in September 2024 when two masked men ambushed Christopher Mills at the holiday caravan he owned with his wife in Cenarth, Wales. The attackers were Geraint Berry, 47, Michelle Mills's secret lover and a former Royal Marine, and Steven Thomas, 47.
However, the 20-stone ex-serviceman fought back vigorously, forcing the pair to flee the scene. The failed attack triggered a massive police response involving armed officers, dog units, and the National Police Air Service, who later found the two men hiding in nearby bushes.
Michelle Mills, 46, reported the incident to police, claiming she had no idea why her husband had been targeted. Officers initially treated it as an aggravated burglary.
A 'Kill Kit' and a Web of Sinister Messages
The investigation took a dark turn when crime scene photos revealed a cache of horrifying items left behind by the attackers. This so-called 'kill kit' included imitation firearms, gas masks, balaclavas, and cable ties.
Police scrutiny quickly shifted to Michelle Mills. An examination of her communications with Berry exposed a chilling conspiracy. The pair had exchanged 2,301 messages discussing graphic methods to kill her husband, from smothering him with a pillow and poisoning him with foxgloves in his salad to lacing his gravy with anti-freeze.
The court heard the plot was driven by their affair and financial gain. The murder attempt occurred just weeks after a life insurance policy from Help For Heroes, making Michelle the sole beneficiary of £124,000, came into effect for her husband.
The Laughing Arrest and a Forged Suicide Note
Bodycam footage played at Swansea Crown Court showed the moment police arrested Michelle Mills at her home in Llanelli the day after the attack. As an officer informed her she was suspected of planning to murder and kidnap Christopher, she was seen grinning and laughing before swearing and putting her head in her hands.
The evidence against the pair was damning. Prosecutors revealed they had written a fake suicide note in which Christopher Mills falsely confessed to raping and beating his wife. A sealed envelope containing the forged note was found in Berry's pocket, with Michelle Mills's DNA on the seal.
Following the botched attack, Mills texted Berry telling him to flee and to 'delete all communications on both phones', adding 'I will not say a word'. She was later found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice for this and her false account to police.
Sentencing and Aftermath
At Swansea Crown Court, Michelle Mills and Geraint Berry were both found guilty of conspiracy to murder. Steven Thomas was cleared of that charge but had previously pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear.
In a final twist, the court heard that after the attack, Michelle Mills made false allegations of domestic violence against her husband, which he denied. Christopher Mills stated he had 'no idea' his wife was having an affair.
Judge Paul Thomas KC sentenced both Mills and Berry to 19 years in prison. Steven Thomas was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment for the firearm offence. The pair who plotted to be together will now spend nearly two decades apart behind bars.
