Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
CBB star Mcconnell jailed over court order breach
Husband is facing retrial in ‘parachute sabotage’ case
PROSECUTORS are to seek a retrial of the Army sergeant accused of trying to kill his wife by sabotaging her parachute.
The jury trying Emile Cilliers, 37, said they were unable to agree any verdicts and were discharged.
Sgt Cilliers had faced two charges of attempted murder after allegedly also damaging a gas fitting at the home he shared with wife Victoria, 42, a parachute instructor. Winchester crown court heard she survived a 4,000ft fall at Netheravon Airfield, Wilts, in April 2015.
The jury was told Sgt Cilliers, of Aldershot Barracks, Hants, wanted her £120,000 life insurance to start a new life with his mistress. The judge granted him bail.
The trial is estimated to have cost the taxpayer £500,000. CELEBRITY Big Brother star Jeremy Mcconnell has been jailed after breaching a court order for assaulting his on-off partner Stephanie Davis.
The model, 27, avoided prison in August but the judge who gave him his chance heard yesterday he has failed to attend probation rehabilitation sessions five times.
Lawyer James Morris had argued that since proceedings were started by the probation service in Cardiff, where Mcconnell is living, he has co-operated. But at Liverpool magistrates court District Judge Wendy Lloyd – who sentenced Mcconnell for criminal damage and assaulting former Hollyoaks actress Stephanie, 24 – activated 18 weeks of his 20-week suspended jail term. An appeal is being lodged.