Soldier accused of sabotaging wife's parachute invited lover to be 'naked cleaner' while she recovered, court hears

Sergeant Emile Cilliers on trial for attempted murder at Winchester Crown Court

Emile Cilliers is accused of attempting to murder his wife Victoria during a skydive (Rex)

A British soldier accused of trying to kill his wife by sabotaging her parachute asked his lover to be his naked cleaner while his spouse was undergoing surgery for injuries suffered in the fall, a court heard.

Sergeant Emile Cilliers told Stefanie Goller he would repay her services with “hugs and kisses” after revealing his former Army officer wife, Victoria Cilliers, was in hospital with a fractured spine and pelvis and broken ribs, his trial was told.

Winchester Crown Court was read WhatsApp messages the lovers exchanged after Mrs Cilliers was hurt in a jump with the Army Parachute Association (APA) at Netheravon, Wiltshire, on Easter Sunday, 5 April 2015.

After telling Ms Goller that his wife was undergoing surgery, Cilliers, of the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, wrote: “One day we might have a family of our own.”

He then asked her: “Will you be my cleaner? I only like nude house cleaners. I pay with hugs and kisses.”

She replied: “Haha I like naked cooking ;)”

Cilliers responded: “Ooo cool. Apart from splashback.”

Ms Goller continued: “I will wear an apron and an apron only.”

Cilliers added: “I might get distracted and you'll end up being distracted by me and then burn the cooking.”

The prosecution claims Cilliers tampered with his wife's parachute on the day before her jump.

Cilliers denies two charges of attempted murder and a third charge of damaging a gas valve at their home a few days before the Easter parachute jump, which is linked to the second attempted murder charge.

Describing his wife's condition after her fall to Ms Goller, he added: “She was in tears last night saying all she could think of is she didn't say goodbye to the kids.

“She said she thought that was it for her before she passed out from the G-force.”

He continued: “The doctors were quite straight as they know what she does for a living. Harsh but better the truth than sugar coat it.

“She will have difficulty and will probably walk with a limp for the rest of her life.”

In a later exchange, Ms Goller told him: “I love you in uniform ;)”, to which he replied: “You going onto salute me?” and Ms Goller responds I guess sometimes I will have to obey you ;)“

Cilliers responds: “Will you call me your Mr Grey?”

During the messages sent over several months, Cilliers and Ms Goller plan a life together as well as a holiday in Honduras together that summer.

In one message he says: “I will sacrifice and give up so much for you” and in another, “From April onwards I can do random and spontaneous...”

The court has heard that Cilliers was also continuing a sexual relationship with his ex-wife Carly Cilliers and half-an-hour after making arrangements to meet her on 29 March 2015, the defendant was exchanging sex messages with Ms Goller.

The court was read messages from Victoria Cilliers describing her “joking” fears that the defendant had tried to kill her by tampering with the gas fitting at their home.

On 30 March 2015, she wrote: “Did you alter the gas lever into the cooker. It's in the cupboard. Smell gas in the cupboard this am and dry blood around the lever!”

Cilliers replied: “Nope. That's weird! Is the stove working?”

Mrs Cilliers said: “Don't want to try!

“Open back door and will see how it is when I get back.”

She added: “Concerned re cause. Are sure not imagining it.

Cilliers responded: “Hey. You also can't be serious about the comment you made... You have been saying that a lot recently. Why?”

Mrs Cilliers replied: “Of course not! Just an article I read in a mag recently. Brought it to front of my mind”

Cilliers: “An article?”

Mrs Cilliers: “True life reader stories. My husband tried to kill me.”

Cilliers: “Seriously?”

Mrs Cilliers: “Was only making a joke. It was the blood on the handle. Wasn't being serious. Didn't realise I'd said it a lot.”

The trial was adjourned until Tuesday.

PA