Woman ‘paid online hitman to kill ex-lover who rejected her’

A WOMAN paid £20,000 for a hitman she found on an “online killers market” to murder a former lover who rejected her, a court has heard.

Helen Hewlett, 43, is accused of stalking her former colleague Paul Belton for over two and a half years after she became “utterly fixated” with him following a brief romantic relationship. Ms Hewlett made false accusations of sexual harassment against Mr Belton as well as falsely claiming he had made homophobic comments, before she allegedly turned to the dark web to find someone to murder him.

Norwich Crown Court heard how she used all her savings, overdraft and loans to buy Bitcoin and place an order on a site called “Online Killers Market” which purported to supply hitmen. She is said to have transferred £20,547 into an online account, with Mr Belton’s name, home and work addresses and his picture. Marti Blair KC, prosecuting, said Ms Hewlett told the would-be hitmen: “It’s vital it looks like an accident.”

She was arrested after a tip-off to police and was found to have searched online for fatal accidents in Norfolk to see if the killing had been carried out.

Ms Blair said Ms Hewlett met Mr Belton while they were working at the Linda Mccartney vegetarian frozen food factory in Fakenham, Norfolk.

She said that Ms Hewlett’s pursuit of Mr Belton, who worked as a staff trainer, had been “relentless” after flirtation between the pair, both of whom are married with children, led to “intimate touching and kissing” in a car.

Mr Belton was said to have “immediately regretted” the single encounter and repeatedly spurned Ms Hewlett’s efforts to continue the relationship. He ended up quitting his job and moving to work at another factory.

The court heard she also got a job there in order to pursue a relationship with him, and that Mr Belton subsequently rearranged his work patterns to avoid her, as well as blocking abusive messages and sexually explicit emails.

Ms Hewlett lodged complaints with factory bosses claiming Mr Belton had sexually harassed women and made homophobic comments.

Mr Belton was advised to contact police after the complaints were found to be malicious.

The jury heard Ms Hewlett had told police after she was arrested that she had “no intention of going through with the order” to kill Mr Belton.

The trial continues.