Judge warns on bullying as two jurors discharged in parachute trial

The judge in the trial of an Army sergeant accused of attempting to murder his wife by tampering with her parachute has advised the jurors to ensure there is no "bullying" between them as he discharged two members for ill-health.

The nine women and three men on the jury have been deliberating for about 23-and-a-half hours since last Tuesday in the trial of Emile Cilliers at Winchester Crown Court which started more than seven weeks ago.

However, about 90 minutes after the judge, Mr Justice Sweeney, gave a direction on Tuesday this week to the jury saying that he would accept majority verdicts, one of the jurors became ill.

Then on Wednesday morning, the forewoman of the jury became ill and Mr Justice Sweeney has now discharged the two female jurors after receiving medical certificates.

Cilliers, of the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, is accused of two counts of attempting to murder Victoria Cilliers while having two affairs.

Mrs Cilliers, a highly-experienced parachuting instructor, suffered near-fatalinjuries when she took part in a jump at the Army Parachute Association atNetheravon, Wiltshire, on Easter Sunday, April 5 2015.

Cilliers, 37, is accused of sabotaging her main and reserve parachute and a few days earlier tampering with a gas valve at the family home in Amesbury, Wiltshire.

The defendant denies two counts of attempted murder and one of criminal damage to the gas valve recklessly endangering life.

Cilliers denies the charges against him and suggested in court that a"stranger" may have tampered with his wife's parachute and denied tampering with the gas fitting.