Two found guilty of conspiracy to murder following armed hit on caravan

Two people who plotted an armed hit on a caravan have been found guilty of conspiracy to murder following a two-week trial.

Swansea Crown Court has heard how Michelle Mills and Geraint Berry planned to kill Christopher Mills so they could continue their affair.

A third person – Steven Thomas – who was alleged to have been recruited by Berry to assist with the conspiracy, was found not guilty of conspiracy to murder. He had previously admitted a charge of possessing a firearm with intent to cause Christopher Mills to believe that unlawful violence would be used against him or another person.

The court heard that Mills and Berry intended to murder Mills’ husband and make it look like a suicide.

Armed attack:

Dyfed-Powys Police received a 999 call shortly after 11.30pm on September 20, 2024, reporting that two masked men wielding guns had entered a caravan in Cenarth, Ceredigion, and assaulted Mr Mills. Despite being badly beaten, the victim was able to fight the two men off, and the intruders fled the caravan.

Making the emergency call, Michelle Mills, aged 46, said her husband had sustained a head injury in the attack, and claimed the two men, who were dressed all in black with their faces covered, were unknown to her.

Response and armed officers were immediately dispatched to the area, along with the dog unit and NPAS helicopter, who spotted two people taking cover in nearby undergrowth.

Berry, aged 46, and Thomas, aged 47, were located and arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary. While searching the pair, officers found gas masks and a fake suicide note addressed to Mills purporting to have been written by her husband.

The investigation:

A CID-led investigation was launched, which quickly established that Mills, of Maes Ty Gwyn, in Llangennech, Llanelli, was linked to the criminal plot. Despite telling officers she had ‘no idea’ why her husband would be targeted, it was discovered that she was fully aware that the ambush would take place, and that she had played an integral part in conspiring to murder her husband. Not only did she know Berry, but she had been in a relationship with him for around three months.

Digital forensic work uncovered messages between Mills and Berry making reference to ways in which they could kill Mr Mills. Investigators found messages dated as early as August 7 saying that Mr Mills ‘should just die’.

By August 9, they were discussing ways in which Berry could plan a ‘hit’ on Mr Mills. Michelle Mills said she wished she could poison her husband with sleeping tablets, while Berry started making arrangements for someone to shoot him. He sent messages to a contact enquiring about a gun with a suppressor, and queried how to make a Mini Cooper S explode on starting. This was the car being driven by the victim at the time.

When Berry told Mills he was going to meet with some ‘boys’ to plan ‘what they are going to do with him’, Mills responded ‘Yes, lovely, thank you’.

The only concern Mills showed was that she or Berry could not get caught.

Crucial evidence:

The digital evidence was crucial in proving Mills and Berry’s guilt, Dyfed-Powys Detective Inspector Sam Gregory explained.

“The communication between Mills and Berry that we were able to retrieve made it clear that since the end of June 2024, the pair had embarked on a secret relationship,” she said.

“In a short period of time, Berry, encouraged by Mills, became increasingly occupied by hostile thoughts about her husband, and the pair had communicated a number of ways in which they could kill him.

“Despite these conversations, Mills claimed she thought these plans were just fantasy and that their ideas would never be acted on.”

Messages detailed two aborted visits to Mr Mills’ caravan on August 28 and 29, with Berry injuring his knee during a fall.

On the third attempt – September 20 – Mills told Berry she would encourage her husband to drink so he would fall asleep.

Messages were retrieved from Berry informing Mills he had arrived at the holiday park, just moments before they burst into the caravan.

Almost immediately after the men had fled the scene, Mills sent a message to Berry saying ‘Police have been called get away, delete all communications … please on both phones … I love you’.

DI Gregory said: “Berry and Mills had previously discussed using gas to kill Mr Mills, while making it look like he had taken his own life.

“Berry had asked Mills where the boiler was, and he and Thomas carried gas masks that would have protected themselves while Mr Mills suffocated.

“No explanation has been given by any of the three defendants for the fake suicide note or the gas masks in the rucksack. What’s clear is that these were not being used to frighten Mr Mills – they were there to set up a fake suicide.”

Guilty:

Mills was arrested and charged with conspiracy to murder her husband. On arrest, she told officers ‘I’m going to prison for this, aren’t I?’.

Berry and Thomas, of Clos Coffa in Clydach, faced the same charge, which all three denied.

After a two-week trial, Michelle Mills and Geraint Berry found guilty of conspiracy to murder by a jury.

Steven Thomas was found not guilty of the charge. He had previously pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm with intent to cause Christopher Mills to believe that unlawful violence would be used against him or another person.

DI Gregory said: “I am pleased that Michelle Mills and Geraint Berry have now been found guilty of conspiracy to murder, and that they will be suitably sentenced for their part in their plans to kill Mr Mills.

“While this case has all the makings of a TV drama, at the heart of it was a very real conspiracy to take someone’s life, and there were potentially fatal consequences to the planned attack on September 20.

“Mills and Barry had plotted not one, not two, but three attempts to take Mr Mills’ life, and I have no doubt that they would have continued to come up with these plans had they not been caught that night.

“They will now face the consequences of their actions.

“I would like to thank all the officers and staff who worked on this investigation, and gathered strong evidence to secure these convictions, as well as Mr Mills for his integrity and cooperation throughout the criminal justice process.”

Michelle Mills, Geraint Berry and Steven Thomas will be sentenced on December 19.