Dad-of-two ‘paid hitman neighbour £1.5k to kill his wife – then kicked off when he saw her still breathing on beach’
A DAD paid a hitman £1,500 to kill his wife – then kicked off when he saw her “still breathing” on a beach, a court heard.
Paul Lewis, 54, allegedly handed over the cash “in good faith” to bump off his estranged wife of ten years Joanne Atkinson-Lewis.
Neighbour Dominique Saunders, 34, took the bounty and vowed to hire a hitman to do the job before claiming he had images of the so-called killing, jurors heard.
But the following day, Lewis saw Joanne “still breathing” while walking on Aberavon beach in Wales.
Swansea Crown Court heard he messaged Saunders due to his “increasing frustration” – but was told to “grow a pair” and sort his own problems out.
Saunders carried out Google searches for guns, coffins, car hire, Charles Bronson and “Vince from Swansea who killed a person”.
He also searched post codes in Port Talbot where Joanne lived, the court was told.
His alleged scheming was exposed when the couple’s son Keiran Lewis went to his dad’s home in April 2023 and asked him outright.
He told jurors: “I asked him bluntly whether he had put a hit out on Joanne. He nodded in response.
“With my father’s permission I began looking through his phone and as I did so he mentioned something about Dominique sorting it out.
“That’s when I understood there was more than just him involved in this.”
In her own evidence, Joanne told how her “very old fashioned” husband was never violent but would “turn things” to make them her fault.
She said Lewis left the family home in January 2021 before messaging her six weeks later saying he wanted a divorce.
The couple had been together for 16 years and married for ten before splitting.
The court was told Lewis was diagnosed with complex PTSD, was on medication for depression and he had been a patient at a psychiatric hospital before the alleged murder plot.
Paul Lewis and Dominique Saunders, both of Swansea, deny conspiracy to commit murder.
The trial continues.