In a murder-for-hire case, four people have been sentenced to a total of 45 years in prison after orchestrating an attack on a man in West Chiltington. The incident, which occurred on December 21, 2019, involved a 48-year-old man being lured outside his home and stabbed in the chest.
The emergency services rushed to the scene at Harbolets Road following a distress call about the critically injured victim. Despite being left for dead, the victim managed to seek help and survive the brutal assault.
The investigation unveiled a twisted plot involving Emma Giles, her father Mark Giles Snr, her brother Mark Giles Jnr, and her then-boyfriend Sam Millis. The group conspired to eliminate the victim, motivated by Mark Giles Snr’s disapproval of his daughter’s relationship with the man.
The hired assailant, now deceased, was paid £3,000 to execute the murder. Evidence from phone and vehicle data confirmed the presence of all four conspirators near the crime scene, implicating them in the scheme.
Following a four-week trial at Lewes Crown Court, the jury found the defendants guilty of conspiracy to murder. Mark Giles Snr received a ten-year sentence, Mark Giles Jnr and Sam Millis each were sentenced to 14 years, and Emma Giles was handed a seven-year term.
The case, described by HHJ Christine Laing as extraordinary due to its unclear motive and the severe impact on the victim, highlights the dangerous lengths to which individuals will go over personal grievances. The victim’s miraculous survival underscores the severity of the crime and its lasting repercussions.
In a statement submitted to the court, the victim said: "The mental impact of this has left me in such a bad way that I don’t think I will ever fully recover. I don’t sleep and when I do I have dreams about what happened. The whole incident and especially the worry to do with having to give evidence at court and relive what happened again and again has led to me having to take medication for anxiety.
"The offence committed against me has significantly impacted on my day-to-day life. I used to have an active social life in the local area but now I stay away in case I see anyone that was involved in doing this to me. I can no longer do the things I considered normal."
The statement continued: "I just can’t understand why people arranged for this to happen to me. We used to be friends and I loved one of the people involved. All I keep thinking is all of this could have been sorted out in other ways."
Detective Sergeant Simon Smith said: "This was an extremely complex investigation into the betrayal of a man by the woman he loved, whose family would clearly stop at nothing to end their relationship.
"The victim in this case is extremely fortunate to have escaped with his life.
"Proving an offence such as this is challenging, but thanks to the tireless work of the investigation team we were able to gather enough evidence to tie all four to the crime and secure these significant custodial sentences.
"Had the man they paid to carry out the attack been alive, I am confident he too would have faced justice for his crimes."
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