**Jury Begins Deliberations in Alleged Hitman Plot to Murder Swansea Woman**
A jury at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court has retired to deliberate the fate of two Swansea men accused of conspiring to hire a hitman to kill one of their ex-wives. The trial, which has gripped the local community, centres on allegations that Paul Lewis, aged 54, plotted with neighbour Dominique Saunders, 35, in what prosecutors claim was an attempt to end the life of Lewis’s estranged spouse, Joanne Atkinson-Lewis.
Prosecutors allege Paul Lewis, a former steelworker, paid Saunders £1,500 purportedly to arrange for the murder of his ex-wife after the couple’s relationship ended. Financial records presented to the court suggest Lewis withdrew the sum hours before Saunders deposited £1,300 into his own bank account, an exchange the prosecution claims supports their theory of a murder-for-hire conspiracy.
Lewis, who worked for Tata Steel prior to his arrest, reportedly expected the plan to proceed and believed he had arranged a contract killing. However, according to testimonies, he was allegedly taken aback to find his ex-wife alive and well at Aberavon beach, casting doubt over the true intentions behind the money exchanged.
The defence teams for both accused have firmly denied any conspiracy to commit murder. John Hipkin KC, representing Lewis, suggested his client was mentally vulnerable and fell victim to a deceit rather than being the architect of a deadly plot. The barrister posited that Saunders exploited Lewis’s fragile state under the pretence of arranging a murder, but ultimately absconded with the funds. “The facts show that the money was not used for any criminal act. My client was taken advantage of and now faces these grave accusations as a result,” commented Hipkin.
Meanwhile, Saunders’s legal representative, John Harrison KC, argued that Saunders never harboured any intention of actual harm coming to Joanne Atkinson-Lewis. Harrison told the jury that Saunders made a handful of internet searches related to the murder-for-hire, but the prosecution’s case lacked evidence that his client took any further steps towards enacting a plan. He suggested Saunders’s actions amounted to little more than idle curiosity before taking a holiday to Benidorm with the money.
Key testimony during the trial came from Kieran Lewis, son of the accused, who told the court of a confession from his father. According to prosecutor William Hughes KC, Kieran directly challenged his father, asking, “Have you put a hit out on Joanne?” The court heard that Paul Lewis broke down, confirming with a nod that he had entered such an agreement, although he later reiterated his denial of any actual intent to cause harm.
Subsequent police inquiries discovered a series of messages between Lewis and Saunders. Prosecutors cited these communications, as well as the bank transactions, as evidence for the alleged arrangement. “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,” Hughes told the jury.
Throughout the proceedings, neither Paul Lewis nor Dominique Saunders elected to give evidence in their own defence, a decision well within their rights but one that leaves the jury with only the accounts and arguments presented by counsel and witnesses.
Both men have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit murder. The legal complexities of joint enterprise mean that neither can be convicted unless the jury is convinced that both played an active role in the alleged plot.
Judge Mr Justice Nicklin has presided over the case and provided the jury with legal directions as they now retire to reach their verdict. The trial, watched closely by the people of Swansea and beyond, is expected to deliver a decision shortly, marking the end of a dramatic case that has raised questions about trust, mental health, and the limits of responsibility in criminal conspiracies.