Constance Marten moans she's ‘treated like a killer' in jail & brands inmates and lawyers ‘Dementors' from Harry Potter
Posh prisoner Marten, 38, and Mark Gordon, 51, were convicted of gross negligence manslaughter after the death of their baby girl.
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Constance, 38, was convicted of the gross negligent manslaughter of her daughter Victoria today
Credit: Central News
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Her partner Mark Gordon, 51, was also convicted of gross negligent manslaughter
Credit: Central News
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The baby died while the couple lived 'off-grid' in freezing conditions
Credit: Central News
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Constance Marten told police that Victoria had died after she fell asleep while holding her
Credit: Central News
In a bitter rant to
The View
Magazine, a publication promoting reform for women in custody, Marten moaned about being 'treated like a killer' in jail.
This is despite being found guilty over the death of her baby daughter.
Marten and rapist boyfriend Gordon were convicted after their newborn Victoria was found dead in a Lidl shopping bag.
Speaking from behind bars, Marten was very critical of her prosecutors and bizarrely told the prison magazine that they reminded her of the soul-sucking creatures in
Harry Potter
.
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She said: "It was his voice. I just couldn't bear it anymore.
"
Tom Little and Joel Smith remind me of Dementors from Harry Potter.
"
There's no empathy. I felt like
.
"
The 37-year-old aristocrat is locked up in HMP Bronzefield alongside notorious child murderers
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She complained about being spoken to like a child and accused legal teams of trying to 'make angels look like devils and devils appear angelic'.
Marten added: "They all use this disgusting tone, like they're reprimanding a small child.
Aristocrat Constance Marten and her convicted rapist partner have been found guilty of killing their newborn baby
"I've heard them laugh and joke with others, but with me, it's always condescending.
"I just shut down because no one wants to be spoken to like that. People say, 'Oh, they're just doing their job', but they're not.
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"They're paid to make angels look like devils and devils appear angelic."
The mum barely mentioned her daughter, who prosecutors believe died from hypothermia or suffocation in a flimsy tent after the couple went on the run.
Marten and Gordon sparked a
nationwide
manhunt in early 2023 after fleeing with their newborn, desperate to avoid the baby being taken into care like their previous four children.
When asked about using pseudonyms while off-grid, she gave the excuse: "The police give people aliases all the time under witness protection.
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"
That doesn't make me a liar.
I was trying to protect myself and Victoria
."
Marten gave birth to Victoria without seeking any medical assistance in early 2022 and kept her "their little secret".
The infant had hardly any clothes or "means of keeping or remaining warm".
Victoria, who spent 'much of her life' in a Lidl bag for life, was tragically discovered dumped among rubbish in a shed near Brighton.
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A jury found the pair guilty of gross negligence manslaughter after hearing harrowing details of how they ignored warnings and lived 'off-grid'.
In a police interview, Marten later said: "I had her in my jacket and I hadn't slept properly in quite a few days and erm, I fell asleep holding her sitting up and she, when I woke up, she wasn't alive."
Jurors were told Marten had been warned by social workers about the risk of falling asleep with a baby lying on her and that a tent was unsuitable.
Both she and Gordon lost their appeal against the child cruelty convictions and are due to be sentenced in September.
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This comes as...
Constance Marten and lover found
Chilling footage shows Marten and partner Mark Gordon after they
Gordon revealed to be an evil rapist
'Wealthy' Marten and Gordon
The
A national safeguarding panel is now looking at the case as police have called for new laws to protect unborn children
Marten was a
former Tatler 'It Girl" and her family had close links to
the Royals
.
But her life spiralled out of control after she and Gordon, 51, met by chance in a North London incense shop in 2014.
The couple went off the radar from her friends and family and formed their own self-styled cult living apart from society, with Constance even posing as an Irish traveller when she attended hospital while pregnant.
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Constance also travelled the world and went to festivals including Burning Man and Wireless, saying: 'Dance is my oxygen.'
She spent her summer
holidays
in 2010 working for a
film
production company in Cairo.
One of her colleagues there described her as being 'very decent,
nice
and friendly' and having 'great potential'.
But she added that Constance sometimes chose the
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During the trial, it was revealed that Gordon was convicted of a series of sexual offences - including rape - while living in the US.
Gordon, who was 14 at the time, broke into the house of a next door neighbour wearing a nylon stocking over his face and armed with a knife and hedge clippers.
He demanded the woman undress and attempted to rape her before carrying out the vile offences in the April 1989 horror.
The victim of his
crime
told
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She said: "The four-and-a-half hours I spent with him was enough to know he is evil."
On May 21 the same year, Gordon broke into another home with a shovel and battered a man inside.
The fiend was sentenced in the US to 40 years in prison, of which he served 22 years.
In 2017, Gordon was convicted of assaulting two female police officers at a maternity unit in Wales.
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Jurors were not told that Gordon was also suspected of a incident of domestic violence in 2019 which left Marten with a shattered spleen.
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In 2021 a judge ordered her four children should be adopted, shortly before she fell pregnant with Victoria
Credit: Central News
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The couple would carry Victoria around in a Lidl bag after getting rid of their pram
Credit: Central News
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Her arrest came following a 54-day manhunt
Credit: Central News
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Timeline of baby 'killing' - how couple evaded cops
CONSTANCE Marten and Mark Gordon allegedly sparked a 54-day manhunt across the UK after vanishing with their baby Victoria.
Here's how the pair's journey began...
December 20, 2022
Marten and Gordon
December 24, 2022
The couple claim their baby daughter was born this day but this has been disputed by prosecutors.
December 28, 2022
Their Suzuki broke down on the M18 motorway so a recovery driver took them to a nearby Sainsbury's. There was allegedly no sign of the baby but the back and side windows of the car had been blocked by clothing.
January 4, 2023
Marten and Gordon checked into the Ibis hotel at the Lymm Services in Cheshire then later the AC Hotel in Manchester.
January 5, 2023
The couple's Peugeot 206 catches fire on the M61 motorway in Greater Manchester. Police launch an urgent probe after finding placenta, burner phones and Marten's passport, jurors were told.
She and Gordon are taken to a Morrisons store in Bolton by a member of the public before being
The couple allegedly use Marten's trust for a taxi to Liverpool, then a
Cab driver Ali Yaryar, who picked the couple up from Liverpool, told the court: "I think the baby had no clothes".
January 6, 2023
The couple arrive in Harwich and check into a Premier Inn at around 3am. They later move to the Fryatt Hotel, where they paid in cash, it was said.
January 7, 2023
Marten and Gordon travel by taxi to Colchester then to East Ham in London. The couple allegedly buy a buggy from Argos then grab another cab to Whitechapel.
They ate in a Brick Lane restaurant then dump the new buggy - choosing instead to keep Victoria in a Lidl bag, jurors heard.
January 8, 2023
The couple spend £475 on a taxi from Hornsey to Newhaven in East Sussex and walk to the South Downs National Park.
January 9, 2023
Both Marten and Gordon claim baby Victoria died on this day - making her 16 days old, the court was told. It is said there is no way of knowing this for sure.
January 12, 2023
Marten is captured
January 16, 2023
Marten and Gordon are seen setting up a tent in Stanmer Park Nature Reserve in the South Downs despite the cold weather.
February 16/17, 2023
The couple are spotted near Hollingbury Golf Course in rural Sussex allegedly pushing a buggy with no baby. Their tent is later seen in Coldean Lane in Brighton
A driver sees the pair walking towards Stanmer Park with something under Marten's puffer jacket, the court heard.
February 19, 2023
Gordon and Marten are allegedly seen in their tent in the park with a very young baby with a "wobbly" head. Jurors told the baby had no socks, blanket or hat on.
February 27, 2023
The couple are arrested in Hollingbury Place in Brighton but do not reveal Victoria's location at first, it is said.
March 1, 2023
Tragic Victoria is
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The Irish Sun
16 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Constance Marten's hellhole life at ‘female Monster Mansion' revealed as baby killer fends off brutal prison attacks
Marten's childhood was so privileged, her family's sprawling mansion was used in a 1996 Oscar winning film TARGET ON HER BACK Constance Marten's hellhole life at 'female Monster Mansion' revealed as baby killer fends off brutal prison attacks ARISTOCRAT Constance Marten once began her day with maids drawing the curtains at her palatial family home, but now her mornings start with a rattle from the prison guard at 8am. Today, we can reveal how the former socialite, who is awaiting sentence for killing her 16-day-old baby daughter, faces a hellish new life at a jail nicknamed the women's Monster Mansion, where her 'delusional' behaviour has already put a target on her back and even seen her advised to become pals with two notorious child killers. 10 Aristocrat Constance Marten faces a hellish new life at a jail nicknamed the women's Monster Mansion 10 She is being held at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey Credit: Alamy 10 The prison is home to many of Britain's most infamous female murderers Credit: PA:Press Association After being found guilty last month of gross negligence manslaughter, Marten, 38, is being held at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, home to many of Britain's most infamous female murderers. Among the inmates serving life at the Surrey women's prison are baby-killer nurse Lucy Letby and Beinash Batool, who murdered her ten-year-old step- daughter Sara Sharif. A source tells The Sun: 'Violence is rife on the block, as is abuse and self-harm. 'Letby and Batool have become friends, and that is partly for their own protection, because child killers are a target for all the women there. 'Marten comes out in the same group as Letby and Batool. She is not yet friendly with them and mostly keeps herself to herself. Easy ride 'She would be a massive target for others in Bronzefield if she was allowed to mix more freely. 'It might be wise for Marten to try to pal up with Letby and Batool, otherwise her time at Bronzefield could become extremely tough. 'She has had a fairly easy ride so far but that can change at the drop of a hat in a rough prison.' Life as Prisoner A9624X is a world away from Marten's upbringing. She is the daughter of aristocrat Napier Marten, who was a page to the Queen, and the young Constance grew up at the family home, Crichel House in Dorset — one of Britain's finest stately homes, which was the backdrop to the 1996 movie Emma, starring Gwyneth Paltrow. Moment cops arrest and ask Constance Marten 'where is your child?' after she killed newborn baby while on the run with rapist partner She and her partner Mark Gordon, a convicted rapist, had already had four children when in 2023 they hid the body of their fifth child, a girl, in a Lidl supermarket bag on an allotment and went on the run. They were arrested in Brighton on February 27, 2023 following a nationwide manhunt. At their first trial, which began in January 2004, they were convicted of perverting justice, concealment of a baby's birth and child cruelty. And when their 'chaotic' second trial ended last month, a jury found the couple guilty of manslaughter. The two lengthy hearings had cost taxpayers more than £10million. Following the trial, sources say Marten 'swanned' into privately run Bronzefield jail, where she now will be held in Unit 4, along with other child killers, until her sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey next month. 10 Among the inmates serving life at the Surrey women's prison are baby-killer nurse Lucy Letby 10 Beinash Batool, who murdered her ten-year-old step-daughter Sara Sharif, also resides there Credit: AP 10 Farah Damji, who describes herself as 'London's most dangerous woman', is another inmate Another inmate was found to have committed suicide on the unit last Thursday morning, and while Marten is in the prison she has been put under 24-hour observation over fears for her safety, with guards checking her at least every five minutes. After her conviction for killing her baby, Marten is also a target for attacks from violent fellow prisoners. Others on the block at the 527-inmate jail are thought to include Sian Hedges, who, along with her partner, killed her 18-month-old son, and Nicola Edgington, who is serving time for murdering a grandmother in the street with a butcher's knife. Marten is on a 'standard' regime, which means she gets a £15.50-a-week allowance to spend at a canteen, where she can top up her prison food with treats such as Snickers bars and cans of Pepsi. Inmates can also order shampoo and phone credit. Marten's behaviour since she arrived has been odd, to say the least. It's like she doesn't understand where she is and is deluded about what's happened. Source Her cell has a desk, ensuite toilet and Freeview TV with a built-in DVD player. She does not yet have a job but has access to workshops including sewing, catering and cleaning. Our source says: 'Marten's behaviour since she arrived has been odd, to say the least. 'It's like she doesn't understand where she is and is deluded about what's happened. 'She swanned in after the trial and seemed to have taken everything really lightly. But something she said, or in her behaviour, set off alarm bells and she was classified as a risk to herself.' After her trial ended, prison authorities compiled an ACCT document for Marten — meaning Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork — setting out reasons why she will need regular checks, including during the night, when the supervision is done by torchlight shone into her cell. 10 Mark Gordon, a convicted rapist, went on the run with Constance Credit: PA 10 Constance appeared on the cover of The View, a magazine produced for female prisoners Credit: Supplied The insider adds: 'Prisoners don't like being on constant watch because it makes it hard to sleep, and most try to come off it. 'But the staff were duty-bound to report their concerns about Constance. The reception team have to ask prisoners if they feel suicidal, and can also raise concerns if they spot behaviour that worries them. 'Marten's behaviour has been very strange and a bit unpredictable. 'It is like she does not believe she is in jail and should not be here. 'She has been heard saying she thinks she will only be in for a couple of years and seems to think that manslaughter is not that serious. 'But you can get a life sentence for it. A long jail term would be a massive shock to the system for her. 'Other inmates and prison officers think she is deluded and is in for an extremely rude awakening when she gets sentenced. Privileged existence 'She could also come unstuck with the other women in there if the guards don't keep a very close eye on her.' Marten's day in the Category A jail starts with that ignominious wake-up call at 8am. She is then escorted to a kitchen, where breakfast is a cereal pack plus milk. In the kitchen, Marten is allowed to mix with only a handful of inmates, including Letby, 35, and Batool, 31, who The Sun recently revealed had become firm friends over the card game Uno. In 2023 maternity nurse Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill seven more. Our source says: 'Prisoners don't get to decide who they mix with. 'There is a process when they arrive so they can be placed in the safest place for them. There are limits on who she can safely mix with and Marten is restricted to other women who have hurt children.' Her current life seems a far cry from the privileged existence she had known in her youth. After private schooling she went on to study Arabic at Leeds University. 10 While on remand Constance constantly lodged complaints about conditions behind bars Credit: AFP 10 Constance grew up at Crichel House in Dorset — one of Britain's finest stately homes Credit: Alamy While there, aged 18, Marten appeared in the society magazine Tatler as its 'babe of the month'. But 20 years later, during her second trial, she appeared on the cover of an altogether different magazine. The View — produced for female prisoners — is edited by art gallery owner and convicted criminal Farah Damji, who describes herself as 'London's most dangerous woman'. In the magazine Marten, pictured in a low-cut dress, moaned about the 'disgusting' microwaved food that was served to prisoners on trial at the Old Bailey. She also complained about the two-hour journey to the court from Bronzefield, where she was being held on remand, accompanied by guards 'on minimum wages'. Marten blamed Sodexo, the private firm that runs Bronzefield prison, 'for adversely affecting my trial, preventing me from accessing my lawyers and for my mental health, which is in pieces'. While on remand she constantly lodged complaints about conditions behind bars. During her retrial, Marten repeatedly claimed to have toothache and refused to attend court to give evidence. But after special arrangements were made for a dentist to visit, she refused treatment. Our source adds: 'The unit is developing a really grisly reputation because of the characters on it. 'It is now called the female Monster Mansion, after Frankland Prison [in County Durham], which holds people like Ian Huntley, Wayne Couzens and Levi Bellfield, which is the male version. 'And it is an odd environment for someone like Marten to end up on. 'Guards are keeping a close eye on her at the moment but they won't be able to keep watch on her for ever.' A spokesman for HMP Bronzefield's operator Sodexo, says: 'We cannot comment on individuals.'
The Irish Sun
20 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
I was on FaceTime call with my best friend when she was killed in a horror car crash – her screams will haunt me forever
A YOUNG woman who was on FaceTime with her best pal when she was killed in a car crash says she'll be haunted by the memory forever. Ebony Neville heard tragic work colleague Stephanie Nye-Diroyan suddenly scream as the video call cut out. 9 Ivan Zailac and Stephanie Nye-Diroyan (right) just seconds before the fatal crash Credit: Ebony Neville 9 Stephanie, 21, was killed in the horror collision Credit: Central News 9 Ebony Neville (left) and Stephanie were best pals, having met at work months before Credit: Ebony Neville The 21-year-old then began frantically trying to call her friend back before getting into her own car and driving along the same route, eventually coming across the crash site. Stephanie, 21, was a passenger in a BMW being driven by another work colleague, Ivan Zaliac, 24, when they ploughed into a lorry at nearly 100mph on Mollison Avenue, in Enfield North London. Ebony told The Sun: "Seconds before the phone cut out you could hear the engine revving and Stephanie's scream - then it froze on her face." She added: 'I tried to ring her back - I don't know what I was thinking had happened. READ MORE NEWS DEATH SMASH Sales exec killed colleague in 100mph horror crash - but walks free from court 'I then got in my car and I didn't know where to go, I knew that they were in Brimsdown, in that local area, but I had no idea where.' Zaliac - who walked free from court last month after being deemed unfit to stand trial - had been giving Stephanie a lift on October 23 2022 after they finished work at nearby second hand car dealership Big Motoring World. Ebony was ill that day and Stephanie had agreed to stop off to see her on her way home when she died. The crash happened at 7.54pm. 'It was literally a quick call,' explained Ebony. 'She worked that day - it was a Sunday - and I wasn't in. 'It was a quick catch up, really. A catch up with a friend, that's all. She was such a good friend, she'd been non-stop checking in throughout the day - but couldn't ring me until she finished work. 'We were on the phone and then it froze on Stephanie's face, and the call cut out.' Three pedestrians injured by falling rubble as van crashes through multi-storey car park wall in UK city centre She added: 'I then rang her personal phone. I also rang Ivan's phone, both were disconnected and were being put through to voicemail.' Ebony said she waited 20 minutes and was 'still ringing during this time… just to try and find out what had happened'. She rang the police and found out there'd been a 'bad crash' in Brimsdown so 'drove around'. 'It wasn't too far from my house, it was about an 11-minute drive,' Ebony said. 'The road was blocked off. I hadn't been told who was involved in the crash or what had happened. 'I wasn't allowed to know any information.' She was then directed to The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel in the East End, where Stephanie had been taken. Holding back tears, Ebony said: 'I did everything I could that day and I wouldn't change anything. I went to the hospital… I wasn't allowed to know anything without Stephanie's mother knowing first.' 9 Zailac was deemed unfit to stand trial earlier this month Credit: Central News 9 Mollison Avenue in Brimsdown where the crash took place Credit: Google Maps 9 Stephanie and her mum Nicholle Diroyan (left) Credit: Ebony Neville A screen shot she captured of Stephanie during the call, a few minutes before the crash, was shown in court. Ebony took to the stand to give evidence. She said: 'I was quite upset and ran out of the room immediately afterwards, and put myself together before returning.' Zailac suffers from amnesia and doesn't remember the details of what happened after suffering a brain injury in the collision and subsequent psychiatric issues. He had been ruled unfit to stand trial so the jury had to formally decide whether he did the act alleged, namely causing Stephanie's death by dangerous driving. The jury then found he did carry out the act. Judge Sarah Munro, KC, said Zailac will be supervised by a nominated social worker and the Hillingdon mental health team for two years. 'This is the only way your mental health can be restored in order for a decision to be made as to whether there are further legal consequences for you to face,' the judge said. Prosecutor Frederick Hookway told the court that the Crown intends to put Zailac on trial if he recovers. 'The objective of this order is for the improvement of the defendant's mental health not only for his own sake but for the future of these proceedings,' he said. 'The crown do intend to reinstitute these proceedings when and if appropriate.' Stephanie's mum Nicholle Diroyan sobbed as she read her victim impact statement at the Old Bailey on July 7. She said: 'The pain of losing her is immeasurable and every day without her feels incomplete.' Ebony, who now lives in Manchester, has launched a petition to try and ensure Stephanie's family get justice. 'There's been three years of constant delays and adjournments - and now we're told it'll be 2027 before we know if Ivan can even stand trial. 'It's the waiting. We're left in the dark.'. 'I feel so sorry for Stephanie's mum Nicholle - who's always at the court but then left frustrated each time.' Ebony added: 'We were told the jury returned a verdict in a record time. Quickest for death by dangerous driving for 27 years. 'Despite this clear outcome, family and friends are waiting for justice.' Referring to the two-year order, she said: 'It's a deterrent of the law, rather than an enforcement.' She added: 'That grievance, when everything is brought back up. I'm quite shaky on this call, it's traumatic to relive the tragic crash and death of Stephanie.' Ebony went on to say: 'Stephanie was the most lovely, genuine, outgoing person. She was there for her friends, she was there for her family. 'If anyone needed her, she'd message, she'd ring, she'd be there for you. To see her face in the newspaper in such a tragic way, and yet we're still yet to receive any justice, is so heartbreaking.' Stephanie had hired Ebony several months before, and was her manager before being promoted to the finance department shortly prior to her death. 'We became friends so quickly,' she said. 'The week before she died we were in Manchester and Nottingham, just enjoying ourselves. 'I was always going round to hers and picking her up or going for lunch break. 'Sometimes we'd get a takeaway into work and would be sitting there with 10 different Greggs items. She was amazing.' Ebony added: 'We believe she's looking down on us so proud of us all.' For more on Ebony's petition see here. Do you know more? Email 9 Ebony had rushed out in her own car after learning about the crash Credit: Ebony Neville 9 Stephanie with her pals Ella, Mia and Millie on a night out Credit: Ebony Neville
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Husband's horrifying murder plot exposed after wife survives 4,000ft plunge
After witnessing a woman plummet from an aircraft 4,000 feet above, horrified spectators could only look on helplessly as her body crashed into the earth. It had initially seemed like a tragic accident, both the primary and backup parachutes that experienced skydiver Victoria Cilliers had been relying on that day refused to deploy – but the sinister truth was that the horrifying incident had been an a deliberate attempt at murder. Speaking on the documentary SkyDive Murder Plot, Rob Camps, secretary of the parachuting club at Nertheravon Airfield in Witfield, described how it appeared almost as though a "bag of washing" had been hurled from the aircraft. Rob recalled that it was "sickening" to witness as Victoria plummeted for approximately 25 seconds. He had presumed that her descent would prove deadly, and had even seized a body-bag before rushing to the field where she had crashed. However, what Paul uncovered in the days after the dreadful incident proved that Victoria's sickening plunge had been planned in advance. Victoria Cilliers in the field where she landed (Image: Storyfilms TV) Victoria was a seasoned skydiver, a qualified accelerated freefall (AFF) instructor with 2,654 jumps under her belt, yet nothing she could have done during that terrifying 25-second descent could have stopped that bone-shattering collision. But, against all the odds, Victoria survived. She had sustained serious spinal and internal injuries, along with a fractured pelvis and five broken ribs, but was sufficiently recovered to be questioned by police several days afterwards. Police became interested in Victoria's accident after examining her parachutes revealed that the soft links – crucial components known to experts as "slinks" – appeared to be absent from both parachutes. Accident investigators recorded video footage of the moment they unpacked Victoria's faulty 'chute (Image: PA) Without these vital parts, leaping from an aircraft at 4,000 feet would virtually guarantee death. Rob Camps had contacted police after inspecting her parachute and discovering what had occurred. Investigators' suspicions swiftly turned to Emile Cilliers, Victoria's husband and father of her two children. He had been present with her the day before, when a scheduled parachute jump had been cancelled due to poor weather conditions, and had mysteriously taken her parachute with him into the toilets when one of their children announced she needed the loo. Wiltshire Police's suspicions fell upon Victoria's husband Emile Cilliers (Image: PA) Analysis of the 38 year old army officer's mobile phone records revealed that he had not only been having an affair with another woman, an Austrian skydiving instructor he'd encountered on Tinder, but had also accumulated substantial debts through his frequent use of prostitutes. However, the challenge for detectives probing the case was that Victoria couldn't bring herself to believe that the father of her two children would ever wish to murder her. She remained captivated by the charismatic South African even after evidence surfaced that the tampering with Victoria's parachute wasn't Emile's first attempt on her life. Six days prior to that tragic parachute jump, Victoria had detected a powerful gas odour in her kitchen. Emile hadn't been home, informing his wife he was remaining at the military barracks to ensure an early morning start. Investigation of the gas pipework entering the property revealed conclusive proof that Emile had interfered with the valve – and that he had been entirely prepared to murder his children alongside his wife. An examination of his online browsing history demonstrated he had been investigating the availability of wet-nurses to feed their newborn infant before his wife's anticipated "accident." Emile Cilliers also loosened a gas valve in their kitchen in hope of killing his wife and children (Image: PA) Nevertheless, Victoria struggled to acknowledge the reality, even when police confronted her with the undeniable evidence of her husband's culpability. She eventually consented to give evidence against him, but in a dramatic turn altered her testimony in the witness box, suggesting the possibility that she might somehow have been responsible for the incident. She gave evidence that she had misled officers during her original interviews, and had overstated the duration he had spent with her parachute: "I made it sound worse than it was because I was humiliated. I wanted him to suffer." Emile persistently refuted attempting to murder his wife throughout a seven-week hearing at Winchester Crown Court and the jury ultimately delivered a message to the judge declaring they would be unable to reach a decision. With the possibility of a retrial looming, DI Paul Franklin and DC Maddy Hennah found themselves back at square one. As police unravelled his story, police began to see Emile Cilliers as a narcissistic psychopath (Image: Getty Images Europe) They relentlessly gathered additional evidence, questioning Emile's former wife, Carly Cilliers, who is the mother of two of his elder children. Their investigation revealed that he had also rekindled his romance with her. DI Franklin observed that Emile's capacity to deceive all the women in his life with such ease was characteristic of a psychopath. He went on: "He can have a conversation with his wife about picking up the children or a bit of shopping at the same time as arranging to meet someone he knows from Fabswingers for some weekend fun, and ringing someone from Adultwork to see if they are available. "Three totally separate conversations at the same time, managed in such a way that there was never a wrong phone call to the wrong person. When you see that repeated constantly for years, you see what kind of person he was." (Image: Storyfilms TV) Even following Victoria's life-threatening plunge, Emile was messaging sex workers from beside her hospital bed and organising encounters with them in the vicinity. However, Emile's web of deception started to crumble during his retrial and he was convicted of two counts of attempted murder, plus a third charge of recklessly endangering life. He was handed a minimum 18-year prison term. Meanwhile – at the very same parachute club where she so narrowly cheated death – Victoria encountered former Royal Marine Simon Goodman and the pair wed in October 2024.
