On a quiet September night in 2024, the tranquil setting of a caravan park near Cenarth, Carmarthenshire, was shattered by a crime that could have been ripped straight from the pages of a thriller. Christopher Mills, a 55-year-old Army veteran, was brutally attacked in his own home by two masked men wielding imitation handguns, gas masks, and cable ties. What he did not know at the time was that the true architect of this terrifying ordeal lay much closer to home than he could have ever imagined.
According to BBC News, the plot was as chilling as it was convoluted. Michelle Mills, Christopher’s wife of six years, and her secret lover, Geraint Berry, had been carrying on an affair for three months. Together, they hatched a plan to murder Christopher so they could start a new life together. Their scheme involved not only Berry but also Steven Thomas, who was recruited to assist in the attack. On the night of September 20, 2024, Berry and Thomas, both masked and armed with imitation firearms, stormed the caravan where Christopher and Michelle Mills were preparing for bed.
Christopher Mills recounted the harrowing moment to BBC News: “I opened [the door] and I was met with a masked man. He just hit me straight in the face with a gun. Big, heavy, metal thing. It was like being hit with a hammer. I fought back. And then they both ran off. I was shocked.” Despite being badly injured, with a large cut on his forehead—a scar he still carries—Christopher managed to fight off his attackers, forcing them to flee into the night.
The aftermath was equally bewildering for Christopher. Michelle Mills made a 999 call at 11:30 PM, telling emergency services her husband had suffered a head injury and that she did not know who the masked attackers were. But the truth, as it would soon emerge, was far more sinister. As Wales Online reported, police found Berry and Thomas hiding in undergrowth near the caravan park about 40 minutes later, equipped with gas masks, cable ties, and a fake suicide note intended to make Christopher’s death appear self-inflicted. The note, it turned out, bore Michelle Mills’s DNA.
The case quickly took on the air of a “TV drama,” as Detective Inspector Sam Gregory of Dyfed-Powys Police described it. “One minute you think you’re investigating one offence, but the next, it’s developed into the most serious offence. The plot’s twists and turns are like a TV drama, but ultimately, Mr Mills has been at the heart of this investigation, which could have had potentially fatal consequences,” Gregory told BBC News.
As the investigation unfolded, the full extent of the conspiracy came to light. Digital forensic work uncovered more than 100 pages of text messages between Michelle Mills and Berry, revealing that their murderous intentions had been brewing for weeks. The pair had discussed a range of options for killing Christopher, from smothering him with a pillow to poisoning him with antifreeze in his gravy. In one particularly chilling message, Berry wrote, “We will watch him die and then come home and chill for the rest of the weekend together and just wait for someone to find him.” On the night of the attack, Michelle messaged Berry: “Sorry u know what ur doing, and I trust you.” After the assault, she instructed him, “Police have been called, delete all communications, I love you...”
According to ITV News, Berry had even made arrangements to acquire a gun with a suppressor and inquired about making Christopher’s car explode. The plan, as police later established, was to make Christopher’s death look like a suicide, a fact underscored by the presence of the fake note and the lethal implements found in the attackers’ rucksack.
Yet, for all its planning, the plot unraveled thanks to what the judge would later describe as “the remarkable fortitude and courage of Mr Mills, who fought you and your accomplice off.” It wasn’t until the following day, after Christopher was arrested on false domestic violence allegations made by his wife—a move that led him to suspect her involvement—that the true horror of the situation dawned on him. “It was at that point, that exact second, I just knew then that Michelle was involved,” Christopher told BBC News. “I’ve never committed domestic violence on anybody, especially not Michelle. My heart just sank.”
The trial at Swansea Crown Court in October 2025 laid bare the cold calculation behind the crime. Prosecutors presented evidence that Michelle Mills had deleted incriminating messages and had encouraged Berry to execute the plan, exploiting his growing hostility toward her husband. Mr Justice Nicklin KC, in sentencing, addressed Berry: “Together with Michelle Mills you planned to kill Christopher Mills. You devised the plan and led its execution. You recruited Steven Thomas to assist you and while intoxicated, you equipped yourself with items that demonstrated your intention to kill Mr Mills and make it appear to be a suicide. However incompetent the plan was and how unlikely it was to be achieved, your intention was to kill.”
Michelle Mills, for her part, claimed during the trial that the plot was merely a “fantasy” and an “escape from reality” because her husband was “controlling.” But the evidence—particularly the text messages—told a different story. In the words of the judge, “The evidence strongly suggests in the weeks leading up to the incident, you cultivated and exploited Geraint Berry’s animosity towards your husband and encouraged him to find a way to get rid of your husband, not in fantasy but reality.”
Ultimately, both Michelle Mills and Geraint Berry were convicted of conspiracy to murder and sentenced to 19 years in prison each. Michelle Mills also received an 18-month concurrent sentence for perverting the course of justice, while Berry received the same for possession of an imitation firearm. Steven Thomas, who the judge described as playing a “subordinate role,” was sentenced to 12 months for possessing an imitation firearm but was acquitted of conspiracy to murder.
The impact on Christopher Mills has been profound. In victim impact statements read to the court, he described himself as a “changed person,” plagued by anxiety, flashbacks, and a deep sense of betrayal. The scars on his forehead are a constant reminder of the night his life was nearly taken by those he trusted most. “I could never forgive her for what she’s done. It’s just a nightmare and it’s never-ending,” he told BBC News.
Detective Inspector Gregory summed up the gravity of the case: “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 Berry 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.”
For the residents of rural west Wales, the case remains a sobering reminder that even the most peaceful communities are not immune to the darkest corners of human nature. The courage of Christopher Mills—and the dogged work of investigators—ensured that justice was served, but the scars of betrayal will take far longer to heal.
