What was supposed to be a sinister criminal conspiracy devolved into a farfetched tourist fraud. A Welsh court heard information this week of an alleged murder plot that was never carried out because the money was squandered on a holiday in Benidorm.
According to the prosecution, Paul Lewis, 54, a former steelworker in Swansea, paid £1,500 to his neighbour Dominique Saunders, 35, to hire a hitman to kill his ex-wife, Joanne Atkinson-Lewis, with whom he had split up two years before.
Merthyr Tydfil County Court heard that Saunders, also known as “Dippy Dom,” informed Lewis that the task was completed and even told him about suspected graphic proof in GoPro images and videos. However, the plot failed when Lewis noticed his ex alive and well on a nearby beach.
A trip to Benidorm with the money
The prosecution claims that Saunders never meant to carry out the supposed agreement and that, rather than hiring someone, he simply made some internet searches before accepting the money and went on vacation to Benidorm.
Investigators discovered that on the same day Lewis withdrew £1,500 from his bank account, Saunders placed £1,300 into her own. Shortly after, messages between the two got hostile, with Lewis demanding evidence of the murder and Saunders responding with language like “Death becomes her” and “Are you 99 percent sure?”
When Lewis acknowledged that he had seen his ex-partner alive, he blamed his neighbour for tricking him, saying, “Your narrative keeps changing. You mentioned that the photographs were taken on your phone and subsequently on the GoPro. I have not seen anything; you are a liar.”
The son is essential to the investigation
The matter came to light when Lewis’ son, Kieran, bluntly asked his father if he had hired someone to kill Joanne. The accused fell down in tears and admitted everything. Kieran then called the police, who discovered the two neighbours’ message exchange.
Prosecutor William Hughes KC told the jury: “These messages clearly demonstrate that there was a criminal agreement in which Lewis paid Saunders to facilitate the murder of Joanne Atkinson-Lewis.”
Lewis’ lawyer, on his part, stated that his client is susceptible owing to mental health issues and was the victim of a hoax. Saunders’ lawyer, on the other hand, said that his client had no intention of causing harm and that everything was due to “doing internet searches and travelling to Benidorm.”
Trial is in progress
Both Lewis and Saunders deny conspiring to commit murder, which cannot be tried against one without involving the other. Neither has volunteered to testify for their defence.
The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Nicklin, will resume at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court.
Author: Derek Appleton
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