A bitter husband who paid a hitman to kill his est

A bitter husband who paid a hitman to kill his estranged wife and her lover was today (Wed) spared jail after an Old Bailey judge said he was ‘not the sort of person to be in court.

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Spurned Robert Smith, 49, had decided at the last minute that ‘death would be too good for her’ and asked the hitman to just break her legs.

The former ticket collector had already begged his best pal and car expert Anthony Fair to cut his wife’s brakes.

But when the plot failed he turned to an undercover cop posing as a hitman offering him pnds stlg 3,000 to kill his wife of five years Glynis, 47, and lover Paul Palmer.

Former London Underground worker Smith told him he had already arranged an alibi and when he heard the news, ‘was ready to turn on the tears.

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Judge Jeremy Roberts, QC, said it was an ‘appalling’ thing to do but freeing Smith he added: ‘I hope and trust this will be the last time I see you in the dock at a criminal court because you’re not the sort of person to be here.

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Prosecutor John Causer told the court Glynis left her ‘dominating’ husband after she discovered he had wiped her name of their joint mortgage.

After she went back to her former husband Mr Palmer (corr) Smith became ‘obsessed with his wife’s movements’ and began to spy on the couple.

And when he heard she had gone back to their home in (132) Oval Road, South Dagenham to gather her clothes he left a chilling message on her answerphone saying: ‘You’re f****** history.

You’re out of order.

‘I love you to bits but you should never never have done that.

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Mr Causer said: ‘He told Fair he wanted to hurt her.

He wanted to do something to her car and he wanted her to be in it.

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And the livid spouse noted to his former work colleague: ‘It’s a shame you don’t know anyone who could top her.

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Knowing of Mr Fair’s knack with motors, he pleaded with him to ‘cut the brake pipes’ said Mr Causer.

But a worried Mr Fair tried to stop him by saying: ‘It wouldn’t work because the fluid comes out when the pipes are cut.

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However, after repeatedly insisting he boobytrap Glynis’ car, Mr Fair eventually pretended to play along with Smith’s deranged plan.

‘Mr Fair realised it was serious and made the appearance of pretending to do it.

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In July this year, the pair drove to Mrs Smith’s parked car in the Mall, Dagenham and when Mr Fair climbed under it, he ‘dirtied his hands but did nothing.

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After further ‘attempts’ at damaging the car, Mr Fair decided to contact Mrs Smith who eventually went to the police.

An unsuspecting Smith arranged to meet Gary, a policeman posing as a hitman, and opened his heart to him in Central Park.

Mr Causer said: ‘She had left him for her old husband and he wanted something really serious done.

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He told the court Smith said: ‘I want one or both of them out of my f****** life.

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However, the ‘hitman’ made it clear he could pull of the deal whenever he wanted.

After suggesting to Smith he could knock Mr Palmer off his ladder, while at work as a window cleaner, they discussed how best to kill the lovers.

When they again decided to sabotage the car, ‘Smith confirmed if they were both in the car together, f****** do them both, otherwise concentrate on her,’ said the prosecutor.

Smith told the ‘hitman’ how her death was more important than his saying if Mr Palmer was out of the way, ‘she will still find someone else in the pub when she’s p***** up.

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And he decided to pay pnds stlg 2,500 for Glynis alone.

However, after saying death would be too good, he said: ‘She would suffer more if she could not walk or play darts again.

‘No one wants a cripple.

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He feared if his wife was killed he would be a suspect but, as he later told police, if she was crippled she would come back to him for help.

At the final meeting he gave Gary pnds stlg 200 to ‘break her legs,’ saying, ‘she deserved everything she got.

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He parted Gary thinking the job would be done.

But he was arrested on 27 July after a scuffle with officers.

He intitially said his comments were ‘all off the cuff’ but later confessed to wanting to hurt her.

But he told police: ‘I just waffled on and I wouldn’t have gone through with it anyway.

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Sentencing him to a three year community rehabilitation order, Judge Jeremy Roberts, QC, said: ‘This was an appalling thing to do.

‘I know you only did it because you had a lot of hurt and hate inside you.

‘If your wife had ended up crippled as a result of what you did you would have been looking at a sentence of double figures.

‘However, no thanks to you this did not happen.

‘The best way to protect your wife is giving you this order.

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Under the terms of the order Judge Roberts said he should stay out of Dagenham.

Smith has already decided to live with his son Bobby and his daughter-in-law in Cheshire.

He was also ordered to seek help for alcoholism and was told the divorce would go ahead.

And Judge Roberts added: ‘You must accept that your relationship with your wife has finished.

‘I hope and trust this will be the last time I see you in the dock at a criminal court because you’re not the sort of person to be here.

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In November this year Smith pleaded guilty to two charges of inciting someone to cause grievous bodily harm with intent between May 1 and July 27 this year.

Three charges of inciting murder were dropped by the Crown.

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