Love, lies, and a deadly plot: a wife and her secret boyfriend are behind bars after concocting a jaw-dropping murder scheme that nearly cost her husband his life. Michelle Mills, 46, and her clandestine beau Geraint Berry, 47, cooked up a plan straight out of a thriller—eliminate Christopher Mills so they could jet off into the sunset together. 

Berry, a former Royal Marine, wasn’t going it alone. He roped in his old pal Steven Thomas, 47, for the dirty work. On the night of September 20 last year, the two—disguised with masks and armed with fake handguns—stormed the Mills’ static caravan, loaded up with a sinister kit: gas masks, pliers, and cable ties, all tucked away in a rucksack.

But their victim, Christopher—himself an ex-military man—wasn’t going down without a fight. Despite suffering serious injuries, he battled the masked intruders, sending them fleeing into the night. Minutes later, Michelle dialed 999 in a chilling call, insisting she had no idea who the attackers were, despite being in on the whole plot.

A sensational trial at Swansea Crown Court revealed steamy text exchanges and Berry’s obsession with fantasizing about killing off his lover’s husband. Justice Nicklin KC handed down hefty 19-year prison sentences to both Mills, from Llangennech, Llanelli, and Berry, of Clydach, Swansea, convicting them of conspiracy to murder. Michelle got an extra 18 months—at the same time—for trying to cover up their tracks, while Berry received an identical concurrent term for possessing an imitation firearm, which he had already admitted.

Thomas, hailing from Blaengwynfi in the Afan Valley, was said to have been under Berry’s thumb during the whole fiasco. He walked away with a year-long jail term for his part and, like Berry, had earlier owned up to carrying a fake gun.

Justice Nicklin didn’t hold back, telling Berry: “You, together with Michelle Mills, plotted to end Christopher Mills’s life. You masterminded the plan, recruited help, got drunk, and armed yourself with items that made your intent crystal clear. Even if your plot was bungled, your aim was murder.”

The judge described the deleted messages on Berry’s phone as “chilling,” praising Christopher for his bravery in fighting off the murderous duo. Addressing Michelle, he blasted her for trying to erase evidence, saying, “You encouraged Berry every step, turning his hatred for your husband into murderous reality.”

Michelle and Christopher tied the knot back in 2018 and were living together in Maes Ty Gwyn, Llangennech. But behind the scenes, their fairytale was unraveling into a dark tragedy no one saw coming.