Parachute accused ‘wanted to break up’

AN ARMY sergeant accused of trying to murder his wife by tampering with her parachute told his mother he “wanted out” of the relationship, a court heard.

Emile Cilliers, of the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, sent the message after experiencing “difficulties” with wife Victoria, jurors at Winchester Crown Court were told.

The 37-year-old defendant is charged with attempted murder after her main parachute failed to open correctly in a 4,000ft jump at Netheravon Airfield on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, on April 5 2015.

Before this, Cilliers had started an affair with Stephanie Goller and confided in his mother. Cilliers told the nine women and three men on the jury how he and his wife were having trouble and he contacted his mother.

Elizabeth Marsh QC, defending, said: “Forgive me for paraphrasing but your mother’s response was: ‘Pull yourself together and get on with your marriage?’”

“Yes,” the parachute packer said.

Cilliers met Ms Goller on dating app Tinder at a time when he felt “far away from home” and when he felt he needed “female company”, he told the court. He described his wife as someone who was “very easily upset” and had told him she was feeling very low and “wanted life to be over”.

Asked whether he took what she said seriously, he replied: “Not massively, no.” Ms Marsh said: “Did you tell Victoria about Stephanie?” He replied: “No.”

Mrs Cilliers, 42, described as an accomplished skydiver with about 2,600 jumps to her name, plummeted at high speed when her main chute malfunctioned and the reserve failed. The court previously heard Cilliers would have been better off financially with his wife alive.

The hearing continues.