Potential Jurors Selected In Trial Of Soldier Accused Of Sabotaging Wife's Parachute

Emile Cilliers (right) faces two charges of attempted murder and a third count of damaging a gas fitting (Image: Facebook)

Potential jurors have been selected in the trial of a soldier who is accused of attempting to murder his wife by tampering with her parachute.

Emile Cilliers, of the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, faces two charges of attempted murder and a third count of damaging a gas fitting, which he denies.

The 38-year-old serving soldier is accused of sabotaging his wife's main and reserve parachute, and a few days earlier tampering with a gas valve at the family home in Amesbury, Wiltshire.

Mr Cilliers' wife, Victoria, a highly-experienced parachuting instructor, suffered near fatal injuries when her main and reserve parachutes failed during a jump at the Army Parachute Association at Netheravon, Wiltshire on 5 April 2015. 

The panel of potential jurors at Winchester Crown Court were sent home and the selected members are set to be sworn in on Thursday, when the case is expected to open for prosecution. 

The judge, Mr Justice Sweeney, told the jurors that the trial is estimated to last for five weeks.