Michael Bowes QC, prosecuting, said that the murder bids came as Cilliers told his lover, who he met through the Tinder dating app, that he was leaving his wife, a physiotherapist for the Army.

He said that the defendant had created a lie for his lover that he was leaving his wife because he was not the father of one of his children, because his wife had been having an affair.

He added that the defendant - who was also having a sexual relationship with his previous wife, Carly Cilliers - had debts of £22,000 and he believed he would be set to receive a £120,000 insurance payout on her death.

Mr Bowes said: "Victoria, known as Vicky, Cilliers, a highly-experienced parachutist and parachute instructor, was involved in a near-fatal parachute fall at the Army Parachute Association Camp at Netheravon, Wiltshire.

"When she jumped out of the plane at 4,000ft (1,200m), both her main parachute and her reserve parachute failed, causing her to spiral to the ground."