Emile Cilliers: The Chilling Fall of a Trusted Soldier and Husband
The shocking story of deception, control, and the attempted murder that stunned Britain.
Introduction
Emile Cilliers’ name became synonymous with one of the most disturbing and calculated crimes in modern British history. Once respected as a British Army sergeant and physical training instructor, his double life of deceit and manipulation eventually led to a horrifying crime against his own wife. This true story exposes how financial greed, infidelity, and control turned a family man into a convicted attempted murderer.
Despite his outward discipline and charm, Cilliers’ actions revealed a chilling absence of empathy. His case became a symbol of betrayal within marriage and the hidden dangers of psychological abuse.
Quick Bio
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Emile Cilliers |
| Date of Birth | 1980 |
| Birthplace | South Africa |
| Nationality | South African |
| Occupation | British Army Physical Training Instructor |
| Rank | Sergeant, Royal Army Physical Training Corps |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Spouse | Victoria Cilliers (née Smith, 2011–2018) |
| Children | Four (Two from first marriage, two from second) |
| Conviction | Two counts of attempted murder, one count of criminal damage |
| Sentence | Life imprisonment (minimum 18 years) |
| Current Status | Imprisoned in the United Kingdom |
| Known For | Attempted murder of his wife through gas leak and parachute sabotage |
Early Life and Education
Emile Cilliers was born in South Africa in 1980. Raised in a modest household, he joined his father’s construction business after leaving school at the age of 18. Those who knew him in his early years described him as intelligent, physically fit, and ambitious.
In the early 2000s, he moved to the United Kingdom in search of opportunity and a stable career. His discipline and fitness background led him to enlist in the British Army, where he later joined the Royal Army Physical Training Corps (RAPTC) — a respected unit dedicated to the fitness and performance of soldiers.
Army Career and Professional Image
Within the army, Cilliers built a reputation as a confident, athletic instructor who thrived in leadership roles. His peers viewed him as driven and persuasive, qualities that masked his growing personal instability. As a Physical Training Instructor (Sergeant), he was responsible for training, mentoring, and maintaining the discipline of military personnel.
However, behind his professionalism lay a series of personal and financial problems. He accumulated debts and began leading a double life, pursuing multiple relationships simultaneously. This deceptive pattern foreshadowed the extreme actions he would later take against his wife.
Marriage to Victoria Cilliers
Emile met Victoria Smith, a physiotherapist and accomplished skydiver, in 2009 after a skiing injury. Their shared interest in sport brought them close, and they married in 2011. The couple had two children together and seemed, on the surface, to enjoy a stable family life.
But beneath this facade, Emile was manipulative and controlling. He continued affairs with his ex-wife Carly and another woman, Stef Goller, a skydiving instructor. He also misused Victoria’s finances, borrowing and transferring large sums under false pretenses. This behavior revealed his pattern of emotional exploitation and deceit.
The Murder Attempts
By 2015, Cilliers was deeply in debt and searching for ways to secure financial stability. Investigators later revealed that he saw Victoria’s life insurance policy as a potential escape. What followed were two horrifying attempts on her life.
First Attempt – The Gas Leak (March 2015)
Emile loosened a gas valve in their home, intending to cause an explosion while Victoria and their children slept. Fortunately, she smelled the gas, evacuated the house, and called an engineer, who discovered deliberate tampering.
Second Attempt – Parachute Sabotage (April 2015)
A week later, Cilliers arranged a skydiving session for Victoria at Netheravon Airfield, Wiltshire. He secretly sabotaged both her main and reserve parachutes by removing key safety clips. When Victoria jumped from around 4,000 feet, both parachutes failed. Miraculously, she survived the fall with severe injuries, including broken ribs and pelvis, after landing in a ploughed field.
Investigation and Arrest
Police soon found inconsistencies in Cilliers’ account and discovered text messages revealing his affairs and manipulation. Forensic analysis showed that only someone with knowledge of parachute rigging could have caused the deliberate failure.
Cilliers was arrested in April 2015. During questioning, he maintained his innocence, but evidence—including phone records, surveillance, and testimony—painted a picture of calculated intent. His actions were financially motivated, planned meticulously, and emotionally detached.
Trial and Conviction
Emile Cilliers’ first trial in October 2017 ended without a verdict due to a hung jury. However, a retrial in May 2018 at Winchester Crown Court found him guilty on all charges: two counts of attempted murder and one count of criminal damage recklessly endangering life.
On 15 June 2018, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years. The judge described him as a man of “cold calculation” and “extreme selfishness,” emphasizing his total lack of remorse. His imprisonment marked the end of a shocking chapter of deceit, greed, and manipulation.
Current Status and Media Coverage
Cilliers remains incarcerated in the United Kingdom, serving his sentence at a high-security prison. His case has continued to fascinate the public and media alike.
In 2024, Channel 4 released a documentary titled “The Fall: Skydive Murder Plot,” which revisited the events with interviews from Victoria Cilliers, detectives, and legal experts. The series reignited debate about domestic control, financial abuse, and psychological manipulation in relationships.
Legacy and Public Perception
The legacy of Emile Cilliers’ crime extends beyond the courtroom. His actions have been studied as a case of extreme narcissism and coercive control within intimate relationships. The story exposed how emotional and financial exploitation can escalate into physical violence.
Victoria Cilliers’ survival and courage have inspired countless viewers and victims of domestic abuse to speak out. Meanwhile, Emile Cilliers serves as a cautionary example of how charm and confidence can conceal dangerous intent. His name remains associated with betrayal, deceit, and manipulation—a tragic reminder of how trust can be weaponized by those without conscience.
Conclusion
Emile Cilliers’ transformation from soldier to criminal stands as one of the most harrowing cautionary tales in modern Britain. His calculated attempts to kill his wife—first by gas leak and then by parachute sabotage—showed an extraordinary level of cruelty. While justice has been served, the emotional scars left on his victims endure.
The case underscores a vital message: true strength lies not in control, but in compassion and integrity. What began as the story of a soldier’s ambition ended as a chilling study of moral collapse and the consequences of deceit.
FAQs
Q1: Who is Emile Cilliers?
Emile Cilliers is a South African-born former British Army sergeant convicted of attempting to murder his wife, Victoria Cilliers, in 2015.
Q2: How did Emile Cilliers try to kill his wife?
He first loosened a gas valve at their home to cause an explosion and later sabotaged her parachutes before a skydiving jump.
Q3: Where is Emile Cilliers now?
He is serving a life sentence in a UK prison with a minimum term of 18 years.
Q4: What was his profession?
He served as a Physical Training Instructor in the Royal Army Physical Training Corps of the British Army.
Q5: What is the significance of his case?
The case revealed deep issues of domestic control, manipulation, and financial exploitation, becoming one of the most infamous attempted-murder cases in British criminal history.
