Crime

Wife accused of murder plot says ‘fantasy’ talk with lover turned into real-life attack

Published

2 months ago

October 16, 2025

A CARMARTHENSHIRE woman accused of conspiring with her secret lover to murder her husband has told a jury the alleged plot was nothing more than “a fantasy” that spiralled out of control.

Ethel “Michelle” Mills, aged 46, of Llangennech, is on trial at Swansea Crown Court alongside ex-Royal Marine Geraint Berry, 46, from Clydach, and Steven Thomas, 47, from Blaengwynfi. All three deny conspiring to murder her husband, Christopher Mills, a former soldier.

The court heard that on the night of September 20, 2024, two masked men armed with imitation handguns forced their way into a static caravan in Cenarth, Carmarthenshire, where Mr Mills and his wife were sitting watching television. The intruders carried a rucksack containing gas masks, pliers, cable ties, and other items described by police as a “kill kit”.

Mr Mills was struck in the face but managed to fight off his attackers, who fled into nearby woodland. Officers arrived soon afterwards and found Berry and Thomas hiding in undergrowth close to the caravan site.

A forged suicide note, purporting to be from Mr Mills and addressed to his wife, was recovered from one of the men.

***The defendants had allegedly planned to murder Christopher (Pic: WNS)***

Secret affair and insurance policy

Prosecutor Jonathan Rees KC told the court that Mills had been in a clandestine relationship with Berry for around three months before the assault. Both had served in the armed forces and were said to have met through the veterans’ charity Alabare, where Mills worked as a regional manager and Berry was receiving support.

Their affair allegedly began in June 2024. Weeks later, Mr Mills took out a £124,000 Help for Heroes life insurance policy, naming his wife as the sole beneficiary. The attack took place barely a month after the policy came into force.

The court was told Berry had shared his violent fantasies with Mills in text messages. He allegedly urged her to smother her husband with a pillow or poison him with antifreeze. In other messages, Berry told Mills he wanted to “put her husband in the ground”.

When questioned about the exchanges, Mills told jurors they were never meant to be taken seriously. “It was an escape from reality,” she said. “It wasn’t a fact; it wasn’t going to happen. I never wanted Chris killed. It was a fantasy.”

***Police found gas masks following the armed raid, jurors heard (Pic: WNS)***

The attack and capture

Mr Mills, unaware of his wife’s affair, answered a knock at the caravan door shortly after 9:00pm. Two men wearing masks and carrying replica firearms burst inside, demanding he kneel. When he refused, he was hit in the face and a struggle ensued.

Despite his injuries, Mr Mills managed to overpower the men and drive them from the caravan. Police later discovered Berry and Thomas hiding nearby, both soaked and muddy. Alongside their weapons, officers found pliers, cable ties, cloths, gas masks with filter canisters, and a telescopic gun sight.

***Stephen Thomas was allegedly recruited for the plot (Pic: WNS)***

‘I’m going to prison for this’

According to other reports read in court, Mills later messaged Berry telling him: “Police have been called. Get away. Delete all contact on both phones. I love you.” She also allegedly warned her son not to mention Berry’s name, saying: “I’m going to prison for this, aren’t I?”

Prosecutors claim she later deleted messages and gave officers a false account, leading to an additional charge of perverting the course of justice.

Berry and Thomas have admitted possessing an imitation firearm but deny any intention to kill.

Claims of abuse and denial

Mills told the court that her husband had been controlling and had sexually assaulted her during their marriage, which began in 2018. She claimed her messages with Berry were a way of coping with her situation.

“I didn’t want anyone hurt,” she said. “It was talk between two people who were unhappy and looking for a way out, not a real plan.”

The court also heard allegations that Berry had made enquiries about buying ammunition and even asked an ex-military supplier how to “blow up” a Mini Cooper — the type of car driven by Mr Mills.

Prosecutors allege there were at least two aborted attempts on earlier nights before the final attack went ahead.

The aftermath

Following the failed assault, Mr Mills told police he had “no idea” his wife was involved and had thought their marriage was stable. Officers later seized both her and Berry’s phones, recovering fragments of deleted messages.

All three defendants deny conspiracy to murder. Mills also denies perverting the course of justice.

The trial, expected to last three weeks, continues at Swansea Crown Court.

Crime

Swansea man dies weeks after release from troubled HMP Parc: Investigation launched

Published

2 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A SWANSEA man has died just weeks after being released from HMP Parc, the Bridgend prison now at the centre of a national crisis over inmate deaths and post-release failures.

Darren Thomas, aged 52, died on 13 November 2025 — less than a month after leaving custody. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) has confirmed an independent investigation into his death, which is currently listed as “in progress”.

Born on 9 April 1973, Mr Thomas had been under post-release supervision following a period at HMP/YOI Parc, the G4S-run prison that recorded seventeen deaths in custody in 2024 — the highest in the UK.

His last known legal appearance was at Swansea Crown Court in October 2024, where he stood trial accused of making a threatening phone call and two counts of criminal damage. During the hearing, reported by The Pembrokeshire Herald at the time, the court heard he made threats during a heated call on 5 October 2023.

Mr Thomas denied the allegations but was found guilty on all counts. He was sentenced to a custodial term, which led to his imprisonment at HMP Parc.

Parc: A prison in breakdown

HMP Parc has faced sustained criticism throughout 2024 and 2025. A damning unannounced inspection in January found:

Severe self-harm incidents up 190%
Violence against staff up 109%
Synthetic drugs “easily accessible” across wings
Overcrowding at 108% capacity

In the first three months of 2024 alone, ten men died at Parc — part of a wider cluster of twenty PPO-investigated deaths since 2022. Six occurred within three weeks, all linked to synthetic drug use.

Leaked staff messages in 2025 exposed a culture of indifference, including one officer writing: “Let’s push him to go tomorrow so we can drop him.”

Six G4S employees have been arrested since 2023 in connection with alleged assaults and misconduct.

The danger after release

Deaths shortly after release from custody are a growing national concern. Ministry of Justice data shows 620 people died while under community supervision in 2024–2025, with 62 deaths occurring within 14 days of release.

Short sentences — common at Parc — leave little time for effective rehabilitation or release planning. Homelessness, loss of drug tolerance and untreated mental-health conditions create a high-risk environment for those newly released.

The PPO investigates all such deaths to determine whether prisons or probation failed in their duties. Reports often take 6–12 months and can lead to recommendations.

A system at breaking point

The crisis at Parc reflects wider failures across UK prisons and probation. A July 2025 House of Lords report described the service as “not fit for purpose”. More than 500 people die in custody annually, with campaigners warning that private prisons such as Parc prioritise cost-cutting over care.

The PPO investigation into the death of Darren Thomas continues.

Crime

Woman stabbed partner in Haverfordwest before handing herself in

Published

3 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Court Reporter

A WOMAN who stabbed her partner during a drug-fuelled episode walked straight into Haverfordwest Police Station and told officers what she had done, Swansea Crown Court has heard.

Amy Woolston, 22, of Dartmouth Street in Milford Haven, arrived at the station at around 8:00pm on June 13 and said: “I stabbed my ex-partner earlier… he’s alright and he let me walk off,” prosecutor Tom Scapens told the court.

The pair had taken acid together earlier in the day, and Woolston claimed she believed she could feel “stab marks in her back” before the incident.

Police find victim with four wounds

Officers went to the victim’s home to check on him. He was not there at first, but returned shortly afterwards. He appeared sober and told police: “Just a couple of things,” before pointing to injuries on his back.

He had three stab or puncture wounds to his back and another to his bicep.

The victim said that when he arrived home from the shop, Woolston was acting “a bit shifty”. After asking if she was alright, she grabbed something from the windowsill — described as either a knife or a shard of glass — and stabbed him.

He told officers he had “had worse from her before”, did not support a prosecution, and refused to go to hospital.

Defendant has long history of violence

Woolston pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding. The court heard she had amassed 20 previous convictions from 10 court appearances, including assaults, battery, and offences against emergency workers.

Defending, Dyfed Thomas said Woolston had longstanding mental health problems and had been off medication prescribed for paranoid schizophrenia at the time.
“She’s had a difficult upbringing,” he added, saying she was remorseful and now compliant with treatment.

Woolston was jailed for 12 months, but the court heard she has already served the equivalent time on remand and will be released imminently on a 12-month licence.

Crime

Banned for 40 months after driving with cocaine breakdown product in blood

Published

7 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A MILFORD HAVEN woman has been handed a lengthy driving ban after admitting driving with a controlled drug in her system more than ten times over the legal limit.

SENTENCED AT HAVERFORDWEST

Sally Allen, 43, of Wentworth Close, Hubberston, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Dec 4) for sentencing, having pleaded guilty on November 25 to driving with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the prescribed limit.

The court heard that Allen was stopped on August 25 on the Old Hakin Road at Tiers Cross while driving an Audi A3. Blood analysis showed 509µg/l of Benzoylecgonine, a breakdown product of cocaine. The legal limit is 50µg/l.

COMMUNITY ORDER AND REHABILITATION

Magistrates imposed a 40-month driving ban, backdated to her interim disqualification which began on November 25.

Allen was also handed a 12-month community order, requiring her to complete 10 days of rehabilitation activities as directed by the Probation Service.

She was fined £120, ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge. Her financial penalties will be paid in £25 monthly instalments from January 1, 2026.

The bench—Mrs H Roberts, Mr M Shankland and Mrs J Morris—said her guilty plea had been taken into account when passing sentence.