An Army sergeant tried to kill his wife by tampering with her parachute so he could claim £120,000 in life insurance after meeting another woman on Tinder, a court has heard.
Emile Cilliers is accused of two counts of attempted murder after allegedly failing in an earlier attempt on her life by causing a gas leak.
The court was told Mr Cilliers suggested to Victoria Cilliers that she go jumping, before sabotaging her primary and reserve parachute on 5 April 2015.
When the highly experienced instructor’s chute failed to open during the 4,000ft jump, Ms Cilliers, a physiotherapist for the army, spun to the ground but survived.
Michael Bowes QC, prosecuting, told Winchester Crown Court: "Those attending at the scene expected to find her dead, although she was badly injured, almost miraculously she survived the fall.
"Those at the scene immediately realised that something was seriously wrong with her reserve parachute, two vital pieces of equipment which fasten the parachute harness were missing.”
Mr Bowes QC added Mr Cilliers was in debt and thought he would receive a £120,000 insurance payout over his wife’s death.
It was claimed that the defendant tried to kill Ms Cilliers on 29 March 2015, just days before the jump, by deliberately causing a gas leak at the family home while he was away.
The prosecution alleges the 36-year-old, who is based in barracks in Aldershot, was also having an affair with his ex-wife and treated Ms Cilliers with “callousness and contempt”.
The jury heard the army sergeant lied to his Tinder lover, telling her he was leaving his wife because she was having an affair herself and he was not the father of one of their children.
Mr Cilliers denies the two charges. The trial continues.
