A GWENT housewife married a wealthy man 23 years her senior and then propositioned her lover to kill him, a court heard yesterday.

Anthea Jane Jones, 37, of Hafod Cottage, Blackrock, Clydach, is accused of soliciting Leonard Loveridge to murder Francis Jones between January 1, 2003, and August 23, 2005.

Cardiff crown court heard that if her pharmacist husband had died she would have stood to inherit millions of pounds.

Mark Evans, QC, prosecuting, said Jones had a series of affairs - including a sexual encounter with her husband's eldest son, Magnus, on the day of their wedding in February 1999.

It was said in court that Jones had propositioned several people to kill her husband.

Mr Evans said the death of Magnus in a car accident in 2001, and a riding accident involving the defendant in 2002, put a strain on their marriage. Around this time Jones struck up a relationship with former SAS soldier Bob Routledge.

"From the outset of her relationship with Bob she would regularly take him to the marital home in Gilwern for sex while Francis was at work," said Mr Evans.

"She told Bob how unhappy she was in her marriage and how she wished her husband was dead.

"She also offered Bob £20,000 to run Francis off the road and kill him." In November 2002, Jones left her husband and moved with her disabled son, Alex, into a cottage Francis bought and furnished for her. Mr Routledge also moved in, but left following further conversations about killing her husband, it was said.

Mr Evans said that after eight months she moved back into Mr Jones' house and rented out the cottage to Debra Benjamin, who cared for her son.

As the friendship between the two women grew, Jones confided in her about her wishes, the court heard.

"She told her she only moved back to Francis for financial security," said Mr Evans. "She said she was unhappy and wished he would die or have a car accident."

Then in September 2004, Ms Benjamin, who taped conversations she had with Jones and gave them to the police, introduced the defendant to Mr Loveridge and they started a relationship, the court heard. "Subsequently, she told Lennie (Loveridge) that if he cracked Francis over the head, she would sort out Lennie's finances," said Mr Evans. "Lennie ended the relationship."

The jury heard Jones, who has denied the charge, then met a man called Keith through an Internet chat room. After persuading her husband to adopt Alex last year she moved back to the cottage with her new lover. Mr Evans said Jones also offered her brother, Michael Berry, £20,000 to run him off the road or hit him over the head with a bar in a fake robbery. Proceeding