Neighbour ‘took £1.5k to hire hitman to kill pal's wife… before he ditched job and spent cash on Benidorm hols'

Scottish Sun

11 hours ago

The court heard gobsmacking details about the alleged plot
BOTCHED BID Neighbour 'took £1.5k to hire hitman to kill pal's wife… before he ditched job and spent cash on Benidorm hols'
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A NEIGHBOUR scammed a husband by taking £1,500 to pay for a hitman to kill his wife which he splashed on jetting off to Benidorm, a court heard.
Paul Lewis, 54, is accused of paying the money to his neighbour to arrange the killing of his estranged wife after the pair split two years earlier.
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Paul Lewis, 54, allegedly paid his neighbour £1,500 to find a hitman to kill his wife
Credit: WNS
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Saunders, 35, allegedly claimed the hit had been carried out
Credit: WNS
Dominique Saunders, 35, allegedly told Lewis that the job was done and said there were photos and GoPro footage of the killing to prove it.
But Lewis, a former steelworker from Swansea, was stunned to find his ex, Joanne Atkinson-Lewis, "still breathing" at a nearby beach.
Saunders, known locally as "Dippy Dom", was allegedly stringing Lewis along before splashing the cash on a Benidorm holiday.
Lewis' barrister, John Hipkin KC, told the court the grandfather was "vulnerable" due to his poor mental health and had been scammed by his neighbour.
Mr Hipkin said Saunders had "simply pushed off to Benidorm with the money".
Saunders' own barrister John Harrison KC said Saunders never had any intention for Joanne to be harmed.
All he did was "make some internet searches and go on holiday to Benidorm", he said.
Prosecutor William Hughes KC said cops launched an investigation after Lewis confessed he had "put a hit" on his ex to his son, Kieran.
Mr Hughes said: "During a conversation Mr Lewis accepted that he entered into an agreement with Mr Saunders to arrange for his ex-wife to be killed.
"Kieran Lewis asked his father: 'Have you put a hit out on Joanne?'
"Mr Lewis apparently broke down crying and nodded at his son acknowledging that he had made such an agreement."
Lewis' son Kieran called the police on his dad who uncovered the alleged hitman plot in messages between the two men, who lived in the same block of flats in Swansea.
Hughes said the messages revealed that: "Mr Lewis entered into an agreement in which he paid Mr Saunders £1,500 which the prosecution say was a fee to arrange for the killing of Joanne Atkinson-Lewis."
Hughes added that financial information showed Lewis withdrew £1,500 from his bank in Swansea and on the same day Saunders deposited a sum of £1,300 into his own account.
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Messages between the two men in the following days showed Lewis repeatedly saying he had given Saunders £1,500 "in good faith" and demanded to "see the Go Pro".
One message from Saunders read: "Death becomes her."
The jury was told that Lewis later messaged Saunders to say he had "seen Joanne on Aberavon Prom and she was ok."
Saunders replied: "Are you 99 per cent sure?"
Lewis confirmed: "I am 100 per cent sure."
A day later Lewis messaged his neighbour again saying: "I want her out."
The two later fell out after Lewis believed he had been scammed from his money.
One message from Saunders said: "You mad or what? How have I scammed you?
"The bloke got your money to do work, I ain't got a thing so tell me how I scammed you."
Lewis replied: "She is still breathing.
"Your story keeps changing. You said there were pictures on your phone, then it was on the GoPro.
"I've not even seen the pictures, you're a liar."
Prosecutor Hughes said: "Those series of messages clearly demonstrate Mr Lewis and Mr Saunders entered into a criminal agreement where Mr Lewis agreed to pay and did pay Mr Saunders £1,500 to facilitate the murder of Joanne Atkinson-Lewis.
"A reasonable interpretation is that Mr Saunders led Mr Lewis to believe he had paid a hitman to carry out the act and he had photographs on his phone or on his GoPro device.
"However once Paul Lewis saw his ex-wife was still alive and breathing on Aberavon Beach he realised the criminal agreement he made with Dominque Saunders hadn't been carried out."
The two men from Swansea both deny conspiracy to commit murder and one cannot be found guilty without the other.
Neither chose to give evidence in their defence.
The trial before judge Mr Justice Nicklin will continue at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court.
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Paul Lewis split from his wife two years previously
Credit: Athena