‘I DODGED A BULLET'
YOU South Africa|6 August 2020
The ex-fiancée of the man who tried to kill his wife by sabotaging her parachute tells of years of betrayal and heartache
‘I DODGED A BULLET'

WAS this really the man she’d married? Victoria Cilliers couldn’t believe what she was hearing as all the horrific details came spilling out in court about how the father of her two kids had deliberately sabotaged her parachute in the hope that he’d get to witness her plummeting to her death.

But this was just the tip of the iceberg. There were also revelations about how he’d juggled two affairs at once while his wife lay in hospital with a shattered pelvis and broken ribs and vertebrae – all the result of the nightmare parachute ordeal he’d masterminded.

Yet despite all this Victoria (36), a British physiotherapist and parachute instructor, admits in her new biography, I Survived, that it was only in June 2018 when Emile (39) – a South African who served as a sergeant in the British army – was sentenced to 18 years behind bars that the penny finally dropped. “I realised he’s a monster,” she writes.

But there’s another woman who wasn’t all that surprised when she heard he’d been found guilty of trying to murder his wife. As his former fiancée and the mother of his two children, Nicolene Shephard (36) knows Emile well.

“My first thought wasn’t, ‘He’d never do that’,” she says. “I was more shocked at the thought that someone who was part of my life had tried to commit murder.”

Nicolene has her own hair-raising tales about how he lied and betrayed her during their long relationship, which left her with deep emotional scars.

“I wish I’d never met Emile Cilliers,” she tells YOU in an exclusive interview.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der 6 August 2020-Ausgabe von YOU South Africa.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der 6 August 2020-Ausgabe von YOU South Africa.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS YOU SOUTH AFRICAAlle anzeigen
HOW TO BE YOUR OWN THERAPIST
YOU South Africa

HOW TO BE YOUR OWN THERAPIST

With more and more of us struggling with our mental health, here's a common-sense guide to coping with life's ups and downs

time-read
5 Minuten  |
5 December 2024
SPUD: THE MAGIC CONTINUES
YOU South Africa

SPUD: THE MAGIC CONTINUES

John van de Ruit tells us why he decided to write a sequel - and shares how his first book helped him find enduring love

time-read
5 Minuten  |
5 December 2024
SEX CONTRACT GONE WRONG
YOU South Africa

SEX CONTRACT GONE WRONG

A Cape Town couple have been charged with using a young woman as a sex slave-but some say she lost the job she signed up for and now has a grudge against them

time-read
4 Minuten  |
5 December 2024
LIAM LAID TO REST
YOU South Africa

LIAM LAID TO REST

More than a month after One Direction singer LIAM PAYNE (31) tragically fell to his death from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, his loved ones finally got to say their goodbyes.

time-read
1 min  |
5 December 2024
SHILOH HANGS OUT
YOU South Africa

SHILOH HANGS OUT

THE two young women look like any pair of good friends chatting and laughing as they leave their dance class in Los Angeles.

time-read
1 min  |
5 December 2024
LEO IN LOVE
YOU South Africa

LEO IN LOVE

He's just turned 50 and it seems Leonardo DiCaprio may finally be ready to settle down

time-read
3 Minuten  |
5 December 2024
PACKING A PUNCH
YOU South Africa

PACKING A PUNCH

Irish actor Paul Mescal beefed up for his role in the blockbuster epic Gladiator II - and fans are loving it

time-read
4 Minuten  |
5 December 2024
I DIDN'T CHOOSE TO BE A LOVE CHILD
YOU South Africa

I DIDN'T CHOOSE TO BE A LOVE CHILD

As the illegitimate daughter of the king, she fought to be recognised as part of Belgium's royal family, but Princess Delphine says she still feels unwelcome

time-read
5 Minuten  |
5 December 2024
'I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES'
YOU South Africa

'I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES'

A bite from a spitting cobra 13 years ago nearly killed her but Mikayla survived - and she's made peace with her scars

time-read
4 Minuten  |
5 December 2024
THE CLAWS ARE OUT!
YOU South Africa

THE CLAWS ARE OUT!

Things have grown frosty between the Beckhams and the Sussexes as Becks comes out in clear support of William

time-read
7 Minuten  |
5 December 2024