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Joy for miracle mum who survived 3,000ft fall after husband tampered with parachute

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A mum who after her husband tampered with her parachute has - to another skydiving enthusiast.

Victoria Cilliers, 48, wed Simon Goodman at a register office last weekend, nearly ten years after dodging death. Her former husband tried to kill her by firstly tampering with gas pipes at their home and then by slicing apart her parachute rigging. Emile Cilliers was found guilty of two counts of and a third charge of , and received a minimum 18-year sentence.

Since then, mum-of-two Victoria met Simon - a former Royal Marine - at the same Wiltshire parachute club where her former husband launched his wicked plot. It is believed they started dating in 2018 and tied the knot at a low-key reception, attended by the couple's closest friends and family members, on the weekend.

One friend said: "It was a close-knit occasion, just very fun and no fuss. Vicki has been through so much. She deserves this happiness more than anyone I know."

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Simon, who is originally from Somerset, served in the Royal Marines for 30 years before retiring from the military. This is the 53-year-old's first marriage, it is understood. According to his LinkedIn profile, he is now an apprentice paramedic with South West Ambulance Service Foundation Trust.

Victoria, who suffered a broken pelvis and four fractures of her spine in the fall in April 2015, was subsequently a key witness in her ex-husband's trial, reports. Channel 4's three-part serial The Fall: Skydive Murder Plot dramatised Victoria's remarkable ordeal.

Speaking previously, the mum described her new partner as "her rock", saying: "I try not to rely on him too much emotionally but practically he's brilliant. He's been aware of everything right from the start. I don't think I could have dated someone who didn't know. The thought of explaining my past would have been too much. We have a similar circle of friends and I've known him for years, which is the only way it would have worked because of trust issues."

The interview in 2020 came two years after Cilliers was sentenced for two counts of attempted murder and a third charge of recklessly endangering life. Sentencing the man at Winchester Crown Court, Mr Justice Sweeney said: "This was wicked offending of extreme gravity."

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