Man Guilty of Murdering Wife's Lover
Andrew Jones warned he's facing a life sentence
A man's been found guilty of murdering his wife's lover in south Wales.
The court heard 53-year-old Andrew Jones shot dead Michael O'Leary, who was 55, after luring him to a remote farm in Carmarthenshire on the promise of a cuddle with partner Rhianon.
Jones burnt the remains in an oil drum and the body has never been recovered.
Company director Andrew Jones, 53, pretended to be his wife Rhianon to entice father-of-three Mike O'Leary to a remote farm after discovering their affair.
Jones was "angry and upset" after learning Rhianon, 51, and Mr O'Leary, 55, had been meeting for sex after striking up an affair at a gym.
He pretended to be Rhianon and sent a text asking Mr O'Leary to meet for a cuddle - but when he arrived Jones shot him in the face with a Colt .22 rifle.
Businessman Jones used a forklift to move his love rival's body into his Audi A6 before staging his death as a suicide.
A court heard he took Mr O'Leary's body home and burned it in a series of fires in his building yard.
Prosecutor William Hughes QC said: "Mike O'Leary was lured to this location expecting a private meeting with Rhianon Jones. Instead he was met by this defendant who was armed with a powerful rifle which he used to deliberately shoot him dead.
"Steps were subsequently taken to hide and cover up his crimes - not in panic but a clear and calculated approach."
He added: "This was a carefully planned and well thought-out murder far from an accident.
"He had murder very much in mind.
"When Mike arrived he had the same intent to kill him when he shot him - this is no tragic accident".
The trial at Swansea Crown Court heard gun enthusiast Jones had discovered "intimate" sexual messages between Mr O'Leary and his wife Rhianon.
Mr Hughes said Jones "went to extremes" to put an end to the affair between the two.
He said: "Whatever the rights and wrongs of the involvement of those two people, and the collateral damage the relationship caused, Mr O’Leary did not deserve to die in the circumstances that he did, nor did his remains deserve to be dealt with in the way they were."
Jones claimed Mr O'Leary's death was an accident and he "panicked" when the gun went off during a struggle before burning his body in a series of fires.
Building and farming boss Jones - also a father-of-three - said: "I left the fire burn all the way down to the floor whilst sitting in the car."
Mr O'Leary was shot dead at the farm near Nantgaredig, Carmarthenshire, before Jones dumped Mr O'Leary's car by a river to stage his disappearance as suicide.
He put on Mr O'Leary's shoes and walked down to river to make it look like he had jumped in.
Jones also used Mr O'Leary's phone to send text messages to his wife Sian and three sons saying "I'm so sorry."
Jones, of Bronwydd, Carmarthen, denied murder but was found guilty after the three week trial.
His family members - including his two daughters - broke down in tears and hugged each other after the verdicts were read.
He will be sentenced later this month and Mr O'Leary's three sons are set to give victim personal statements at sentencing.
Judge, Mrs Justice Nerys Jefford said: "There is only one sentence I can pass and that is life imprisonment. What I have to do is pass a minimum term."