Emile Cilliers Was "Coercive And Manipulative" Towards Wife, Court Hears

An Army sergeant accused of tampering with his wife's parachute in an attempt to kill her was "coercive" and "manipulative", a court heard.

Michael Bowes QC, prosecuting, accused Emile Cilliers, of the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, of trying to make his wife Victoria feel guilty when she suspected he was having an affair and wrote about her fears on Facebook.

The court heard when he saw the message online he told Mrs Cilliers he was "hurt" she suggested he was unfaithful to a "complete stranger".

During cross examination at Winchester Crown Court on Tuesday, Mr Bowes said:

 "You were trying to make her feel guilty."

Cilliers replied: "That's your opinion."

When Mr Bowes said what she had written was "absolutely true", Cilliers replied: "I can only remember the basic facts (of the conversation)."

Mr Bowes added:

"Try to remember a basic fact like 'I'm having an affair'."

Cilliers admitted he was lying and Mr Bowes said:

 "It's coercive and manipulative to make her feel bad."

The defendant replied: "That's your assumption."

The 37-year-old defendant is charged with attempted murder after her parachute failed to open correctly in a 4,000ft jump at Netheravon Airfield on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, on April 5 2015.

Cilliers was accused of treating his wife with "contempt" and was asked why he sent a message to his girlfriend Stephanie Goller which said from April onwards "I can do random and spontaneous", the court heard.

He said he was lying to Ms Goller and his wife at the time.

He had also lied to Ms Goller about being the father of one of the children he shares with Victoria, the court heard.

Cilliers was meeting his ex-wife Carly for sex at the same time as arranging a holiday with Ms Goller and while Mrs Cilliers was at home with the children, jurors were told.

Mr Bowes suggested he "really did not care" about Mrs Cilliers.

The defendant said his actions had nothing to do with his ability as a father but conceded he was not being a good husband because he was lying.

Mr Bowes asked Cilliers how he could explain to the jury that he described feeling a "rush of love" when one of his children was born but also telling Ms Goller he "did not feel connected" to the baby.

There was a long pause before Cilliers replied: "I don't know."

Mr Bowes accused him of lying when it suited him and this particular falsehood was a "hard, cold lie", to which Cilliers replied: "Yes, it is."

Cilliers was "utterly and completely selfish", Mr Bowes claimed.

The defendant said: "That's your opinion."

An Army sergeant accused of trying to murder his wife by tampering with her parachute told his mother he "wanted out" of the relationship, a court heard.

Jurors heard that Emile Cilliers, of the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, sent a message stating such after experiencing "difficulties" with wife Victoria.

The 37-year-old defendant is charged with attempted murder after her main parachute failed to open correctly in a 4,000ft jump at Netheravon Airfield on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, on April 5th, 2015.

The court has previously heard that Cilliers had started an affair with Stephanie Goller and confided in his mother.

Cilliers told the nine women and three men on the jury how he and his wife were having trouble and he contacted his mother.

Elizabeth Marsh QC, defending, said:

 "Forgive me for paraphrasing but your mother's response was: 'Pull yourself together and get on with your marriage?'"

To which the parachute packer replied: “Yes”.

Cilliers met Ms Goller on dating app Tinder at a time when he felt "far away from home" and needed "female company", he told the court.

He described his wife as someone who was "very easily upset" and had told him she was feeling very low and "wanted life to be over".

Asked whether he took what she said seriously, he replied: "Not massively, no."

Ms Marsh said:

"Did you tell Victoria about Stephanie?"

He replied: "No."

She asked:

"Did you tell Stephanie the truth about Victoria and your relationship?"

Again, his response was: "No".

Asked how he thought the affair would "play out", he responded: "I didn't know at that point."

Mrs Cilliers, 42, described as an accomplished skydiver with around 2,600 jumps to her name, plummeted to the ground at high speed when her main chute malfunctioned and the reserve failed.

Jurors were told her survival, albeit with serious injuries, was a "near miracle", and was largely attributed to the soft soil in the ploughed field where she landed.

The court previously heard Cilliers would have been better off financially with his wife alive.

Cilliers said he did not object to signing a post-nuptial agreement which had been proposed by his wife.

He said he signed on the understanding she owned the house but he would be in line for a payout should the marriage fall apart and they divided their assets.

He said he did not feel the need for legal advice and he was content with the proposals.

Asked if he was at any point resistant, he said: "Not at all because it was her money after all."

The pair also wrote wills in which he chose to leave 50% to Mrs Cilliers with the remainder to be split between his children, the court heard.

The defendant denies attempting to murder his wife by tampering with her hire kit in a toilet cubicle.

The South African, who is father to six children from various relationships, also denies a second attempted murder charge relating to a gas leak at their family home in Amesbury, Wiltshire, a few days earlier, as well as a third charge of damaging a gas valve, recklessly endangering life.