Husband ‘paid £1,500 for hitman to kill estranged wife'

Telegraph

24-06-2025

A husband paid £1,500 for a hitman to kill his estranged wife, a court has heard.
Paul Lewis allegedly plotted to hire an assassin to murder Joanne Atkinson-Lewis following divorce proceedings.
The 54-year-old former steelworker is accused of giving the cash to his neighbour Dominique Saunders, 35, to arrange the hit.
Mr Saunders informed him the assassination had been successful, only for Mr Lewis to see his estranged wife alive and well at a nearby beach weeks later, Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard
The court was told that Mr Lewis and Mr Saunders, who lived in the same block of flats in Swansea, arranged the plot over text messages.
'Mr Lewis entered into an agreement in which he paid Mr Saunders £1,500, which the prosecution say was a fee to arrange for the killing of Joanne Atkinson-Lewis,' said prosecutor William Hughes.
Bank statements from the pair showed that Mr Lewis withdrew £1,500 from his bank, and on the same day Mr Saunders deposited a sum of £1,300 into his own account.
Messages between the two men in the following days showed Mr Lewis repeatedly saying that he had given Mr Saunders £1,500 'in good faith'.
He also demanded to 'see the Go Pro' footage after Mr Saunders claimed there was photographic evidence of the murder.
One message from Mr Saunders read: 'Death becomes her.'
But the jury was told Mr Lewis later texted Mr Saunders to inform him that he had 'seen Joanne on Aberavon Prom and she was OK'.
Mr Saunders replied: 'Are you 99 per cent sure?' Mr Lewis said: 'I am 100 per cent sure.' A day later, Mr Lewis messaged his neighbour again, saying: 'I want her out.'
Mr Hughes said the two men soon fell out, with Mr Lewis accusing Mr Saunders of having cheated him.
One message from Mr Saunders said: 'You mad or what? How have I scammed you? The bloke got your money to do work. I ain't got a thing so tell me how I scammed you.'
Mr Lewis replied: 'She is still breathing. Your story keeps changing. You said there were pictures on your phone, then it was on the GoPro. I've not even seen the pictures you're a liar.'
The pair's plot unravelled when Mr Lewis confessed what he had done to his son Kieran and his girlfriend Sydney West, the prosecutor said.
Mr Hughes said: 'During a conversation Mr Lewis accepted that he entered into an agreement with Mr Saunders to arrange for his ex-wife to be killed.
'Kieran Lewis asked his father: 'Have you put a hit out on Joanne?' Mr Lewis apparently broke down crying and nodded at his son, acknowledging that he had made such an agreement.'
Police were called, and the court heard that Ms West then confronted Mr Saunders at his flat and told him to return the money. Mr Saunders allegedly told her he 'had already given the money to someone else and couldn't give the money back'.
Mr Hughes said Ms West asked Mr Lewis: 'Do you understand you have paid someone to take someone's mother away? Paul Lewis replied 'yeah I know'.'
The two men deny conspiracy to commit murder.