Businesswoman 'hired a hit-man'

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A millionaire businesswoman tried to have her cheating partner and his new wife killed, the Old Bailey has heard.

Ann Hunter, 49, could not accept that Colin Love, the father of her two children, had fallen in love with someone else, the jury was told.

The court heard Ms Hunter, of Chiswick, west London, got her new boyfriend Anton Lee to hire a hit-man who was really an undercover policeman.

She denies inciting to solicit murder but admits inciting GBH with intent.

Arrange an 'accident'

Lee, 44, of Stanmore, north-west London, has pleaded guilty to soliciting murder.

Ms Hunter - a high-flying, successful career woman with her own baby goods manufacturing business - could not understand why Mr Love would prefer an older woman whom she saw as less attractive, Robin Johnson, prosecuting, said.

He told the court the final straw came when business executive Mr Love, who earned less than his wife, married his lover and wanted a share of the property, Lionsfield House in Bedfordshire, which he shared with Ms Hunter.

He said he intended leaving everything to the other woman in his will, said Mr Johnson.

Uncontrolled hatred

It was then that Ms Hunter persuaded her new boyfriend, financial consultant Mr Lee, to hire a hit-man to arrange an "accident" or car crash while they were on holiday at Christmas, the jury was told.

She allegedly later changed her mind and decided to only have Mrs Love - who she described as "55, 14-stone, with greying looks like Judi Dench" - murdered.

"That desire from an intelligent woman who had had hitherto a highly successful career as a businesswoman, may have been born from an uncontrolled hatred," Mr Johnson said.

Hunter and Lee were arrested after their conversations with the policeman were secretly recorded. Ms Hunter had given the hit-man £5,000, the court heard.

Ms Hunter, who used the name Ann Hunter-Love, was an executive with major companies such as Unilever before leaving in the 1990s to set up in business on her own.

She went on to find major success with a baby goods manufacturing company in the Newcastle area.

The trial continues.