Court told Brit sailor killed wife for money

A sailor murdered his wife and sank their catamaran to inherit her estate and end their “marital strife”, it is claimed.

Lewis Bennett, 41, was smuggling rare stolen coins when he was rescued alone off the coast of Cuba without Isabella Hellmann, the mother of his child.

Prosecutors in the US have detailed what they believe to be Bennett’ s motives, after the FBI charged him with murder.

Court papers revealed Isabella’s family bugged her home in Delray Beach, Florida, to listen to Bennett’s conversations because they suspected him in her disappearance.

The newlyweds were sailing towards their US condo last May when Bennett, of Poole, Dorset, made an SOS call saying the 41- year- old former estate agent was missing and the vessel was sinking.

Prosecutor Benjamin Greenberg asked a Florida judge to admit into evidence conversations with loved ones where Isabella is said to have discussed rows over a mooted move to Australia, their dire finances and the raising of their daughter.

He argued the pair were “consistently” rowing, adding: “With potentially one of the arguments ultimately resulting in the murder of Hellmann.”

British-Australian Bennett is serving as even-month jail term for transporting the coins, worth £29,450. He is due to go on trial accused of second degree murder in December.