Michael O'Leary death: Husband guilty of murdering wife's lover

A man accused of shooting his wife's lover after luring him to a remote farm has been convicted of his murder.

Andrew Jones, 53, of Bronwydd Road, Carmarthen, used his wife Rhiannon's secret mobile phone to meet Michael O'Leary, his trial heard.

Jones took a rifle to confront Mr O'Leary, 55, of Nantgaredig, but denied planning to murder him.

Swansea Crown Court had heard Jones claim the gun went off accidentally and he tried to cover up the killing.

Jones was found guilty by a majority verdict on Monday.

• How texts sent by man's murderer raised suspicions

Michael O'Leary had been having an affair with Rhiannon Jones

Jones lured Mr O'Leary to Cincoed Farm, in Cwmffrwd, which he owned, by texting him from his wife Rhiannon's phone, asking for a "cwtch" or cuddle.

After Mr O'Leary arrived, Jones shot him with a .22 Colt rifle.

Jones took Mr O'Leary's car to a river and tried to make it look as if he killed himself, then disposed of his body on his farm, the trial was told.

Upon leaving the car, Jones sent a text from Mr O'Leary's phone to the victim's wife and children, which said "I am so sorry x".

Jones (right) killed Mr O'Leary after discovering he was having an affair with his wife

A piece of intestine belonging to Mr O'Leary was later found at Jones' property.

CCTV footage showed a fire near a quarry face at the farm on 29 January, two days after father-of-three Mr O'Leary had been reported missing.

Pathologists told the court it was possible that discolouration on the piece of tissue suggested it had been exposed to heat.

Mr O'Leary's body has never been found.

A forklift with blood on its blades was found in a shed on Mr Jones' farm

A forklift with Mr O'Leary's blood was also found at Jones' farm.

Jones had used it to move his body before burning it, the trial previously heard.

The two men had known each other for about 20 years.

Jurors were told Mr O'Leary started having an affair with Jones' wife - who went to the same gym as him - sometime in 2019.

The judge, Mrs Justice Nerys Jefford, said the "the only sentence that I can pass is one of life imprisonment".

A date for sentencing has not yet been set.

CCTV footage showed Mr Jones carrying items at his home on the day he is accused of murdering Mr O'Leary

Speaking after the trial, Det Ch Insp Paul Jones, from Dyfed-Powys Police, said the case had been a challenging one for officers.

He said: "It took a huge amount of resilience to get through the mental and physical challenges, through the initial search for Mr O'Leary and then as they sifted through material to find each tiny piece of evidence.

"There was pressure to prove what had happened to Mr O'Leary, to get answers quickly and charge the person responsible so they could be tried.

"Without a body this can be very difficult, you have to build significant evidence to support your theory they had been murdered."