A new episode of Channel 4's 24 Hours in Police Custody shows the sinister moment a man found out his ex-wife had tried to have him murdered:
In the programme, we see police speak to Rob Parkes, who married Victoria Breeden in 2004 after meeting at university five years earlier.
Advert
Their relationship eventually broke down and they separated in 2008, before Parkes was granted custody of their daughter in 2014 'following protracted proceedings in the family court'.
A clip shows an officer telling him: "Essentially, on Tuesday night we had someone attend the police station with a recording.
"It's basically stating that there's a recording of Victoria and another person conspiring to murder someone."
Parkes, 40, replies quietly: "Right."
Advert
The officer continues: "The content of that recording is directed towards yourself."
DS Mike Branshaw and his team had visited Parkes at his home in Cambridgeshire.
As police play the audio of the tape to Parks, he reels in shock as he hears Breeden ask a man named Earl Gernon how much it would cost to 'make someone disappear'.
Advert
A visibly shocked Parkes continues: "The past history that I've got with her, I would never have thought that she would have gone this far."
Thankfully, none of the murder attempts went ahead.
Advert
The case went to court in March 2020, when Breeden - who was dubbed 'Black Widow' - claimed she had only been 'joking' about hiring hitmen, and 'wasn't serious' about the planned attack.
During the hearing, the court heard how Breeden had felt 'bitterness and anger' towards her former partner, who had embarked on a relationship with one of her friends.
Christopher Paxton QC, prosecuting, referred to Breeden's efforts as 'determined', but said none of the men had tried to carry out her plans.
Advert
Breeden, 39, was found guilty of trying to persuade Hamish Lowry-Martin to murder her ex-husband between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2014.
She was also found guilty of trying to get former boyfriend Graham Wall, to murder Parkes between 19 October 2018 and 3 October 2019.
As well as this, Breeden was found guilty of trying to persuade Earl Gernon to murder Parkes on 1 October 2019.
She is now serving a nine-and-a-half year sentence for plotting to have Parkes killed.
Episode one of 24 Hours in Police Custody's 'Black Widow' special is available now on All 4 and episode two will air at 9pm tonight (5 January) on Channel 4.
Featured Image Credit:
Topics: UK News, TV and Film, crime, Channel 4