(WHDH) – A British Army sergeant is accused of trying to kill his wife by sabotaging her skydiving parachute.
The BBC reports that 37-year-old Emile Cilliers offered to take his wife skydiving in 2015. She had previously gone on 2,600 skydives, and was no stranger to the sport. But prosecutors said Emile removed half of the clips on his wife Victoria’s harness, causing both her main and reserve parachutes to fail.
Victoria plummeted 4,000 feet to the ground, but managed to survive with a broken pelvis, ribs and vertebrae.
Prosecutors said it was the second attempt Emile had made to try to murder his wife, after he reportedly tampered with a gas pipe in the couple’s kitchen a week prior to the skydive, hoping it would cause an explosion.
According to the Guardian, after Victoria smelled gas and discovered the leak, she jokingly texted Emile, “Are you trying to kill me?”
Investigators said Emile had promised to start a new life with a woman he had met on Tinder. Prosecutors said he was nearly $30,000 in debt, and decided to kill his wife in order to collect a life insurance payout.
Emile has pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted murder.
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