Tycoon's wife jailed for hiring 'hitman' to kill him

A woman "motivated by greed and hatred" was jailed for five years yesterday for trying to hire a hitman to kill her wealthy husband. Shelley Molyneux, the former wife of the Scoot.com internet entrepreneur Jon Molyneux, collapsed in the dock of the Old Bailey as the judge sentenced her.

Judge Christopher Moss told Molyneux, who has four children: "I have no doubt you were serious in your express wish that your husband should die. You were motivated by greed and hatred. It is no thanks to you that this murder would never have been committed."

Molyneux, 41, from Gidea Park, Essex, was helped to her feet and led away to the cells. After the case, Molyneux's friends and family said they were "distraught" and would consider appealing.

At an earlier court hearing she pleaded guilty to soliciting the undercover reporter Roger Insall to murder her husband.

The court heard that she planned the contract after her marriage collapsed in 2001, and Mr Molyneux moved in with a girlfriend. Molyneux, who has since divorced her husband, stood to inherit more than £1m.

Crispin Aylett, prosecuting, explained that Molyneux was introduced to Mr Insall after telling the private investigator Gavin Burrows that she wished her husband was dead.

Molyneux suggested a bungled carjacking as a way to murder him. "I want him gone forever," she said, agreeing a £20,000 fee. She was arrested after Mr Insall passed a videotape of their meeting to police.

Her defence barrister insisted it was a classic case of "agent provocateur" with Molyneux being "entrapped". Molyneux denied soliciting Mr Burrows between 1 December 2001 and 13 February this year, as well as an undercover police officer between 17 and 24 February. Those two charges were left on file.