Man guilty of parachute murder attempt
A “VERY dangerous, coercive and manipulative” Army sergeant has been found guilty of attempting to murder his wife by tampering with her parachute and sabotaging a gas valve at their home.
A jury convicted 38-year-old Emile Cilliers, of the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, of two attempted murder charges and a third count of damaging the gas fitting following a retrial at Winchester Crown Court.
The defendant was convicted unanimously on the two counts of attempted murder and by a majority of 10 to two on the criminal damage charge.
Victoria Cilliers, a parachuting instructor, suffered nearfatal injuries when both her main and reserve parachutes failed as she took part in a jump at the Army Parachute Association at Netheravon, Wiltshire, on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015.
Speaking outside court, Detective Inspector Paul Franklin, of Wiltshire Police, described Cilliers as a “very dangerous man” who could easily have escaped being caught for the attempts on his wife’s life.
Hannah Squire, junior counsel for the prosecution, described Cilliers’ behaviour as “coercive and manipulative”.
She said: “He showed complete and utter contempt for his wife and this culminated in his desire to have her dead, whether that be to start a new life with his lover Stefanie Goller, benefit financially from the death of Victoria Cilliers or both.”
Cilliers is to be sentenced on a date to be set.