A scorned husband enlisted the help of his estranged son to kill the Russian wife he fell in love with over the internet, a court has heard.

Steven Hellewell, 50, of Gorse Close, in Tadworth, appeared at Guildford Crown Court today, June 27, where he is standing trial for soliciting to murder his wife, Elena Hellewell, 48, also from Tadworth.

Deepak Kapur, barrister for the prosecution, told a jury of nine men and three women how Mr Hellewell had met his wife, who lived in Russia, over the internet and that the pair married after he visited her there, but that the "relationship faltered due to the defendant’s behaviour" shortly afterwards.

He said the couple broke-up and reconciled a number of times, before Mrs Hellewell decided to "leave him for good" in February 2012.

The court heard that, although Mr Hellewell persistently telephoned and texted his wife, waited outside the Asda supermarket where she worked, and tried to make contact with her through her children after this, "Mrs Hellewell was not having any of it".

Mr Kapur said: "Steven Hellewell reached the stage where he thought ‘if I can’t have her, no one else can’.

"With that in mind he decided to kill her."

The jury heard how, in December 2012, Mr Hellewell contacted his estranged son, Kerry Lee Hellewell, who lives in the Isle of Wight, and who had not communicated with his father for a number of years, and relayed a plan to "hide Elena Hellewell in the back of a car so the defendant could kill her".

Mr Kapur said: "Steven Hellewell said he would finish her off and said then he would finish himself off or just drive him and Elena Hellewell off a cliff."

He said that Steven Hellewell told his son that he had split-up from his wife and that she was "after the family’s inheritance, part of which was destined for his son".

Mr Kapur added: "He wanted his son’s help to protect the inheritance.

"He asked his son if he had a balaclava, gloves and dark clothing."

The barrister said that while his son initially agreed to the plan "just to shut him up", he later reported Steven Hellewell to the police after he "thought he was serious".

When Steven Hellewell was arrested, police found "cable ties, a club hammer, stockings, a kitchen knife and insulating tape" in his car, which, the court heard, he wanted to be used to tie up his wife.

In an interview with police following his arrest, Mr Kapur said that Steven Hellewell said: "I love my wife.  I can’t live without her. 

"Sometimes I go to Asda where she works and stare at her on the checkout.  I like to see her smile and be happy."

The court also heard how Steven Hellewell was found in possession of a t-shirt with his wife’s picture on it which "he sprays with perfume and cuddles to feel connected to her".

But Mr Kapur said that Steven Hellewell told police that he had planned to kill himself, not his wife.

He said: "Steven Hellewell’s explanation was that he had not asked Kerry Lee Hellewell to kill Elena Hellewell, just to grab her so he could kill himself while his wife watched and that he didn’t want to tell his son that he wanted to kill himself because if he knew that he would not agree."

The defendant, who denies the charge, has dark hair, a goatee beard and wore his long hair in a ponytail, was dressed in a white polo shirt and black jacket.

The trial continues.