Wife who carried out campaign of terror against personal trainer she had affair with walks free
Louise Ansell waged war against her fitness instructor and his new girlfriend but walked away with suspended sentence
A MUM of six who had a fling with her personal trainer wept as she was spared jail for helping her husband wage a terrifying war of revenge.
Louise Ansell, 36, got a suspended prison term while her carpenter hubby was caged for 7½ years for blowing up a car he thought belonged to the romeo’s new girlfriend.
A judge slammed the pair over their hate campaign against Sean Smith, who ran a fitness boot camp the wife went to in a bid to lose weight after having twins.
He told husband Neil Ansell, 46: “You set out to cause as much hurt and anguish as you could. You were utterly out of control.”
The dad rumbled his wife’s six-month affair when he spotted text messages.
He was consumed with jealousy. But while he forgave his missus he set out to exact revenge on the fitness instructor.
His wife was happy to see Mr Smith’s new love Stephanie Hepke, 26, targeted too, St Albans crown court in Herts heard.
Stephanie had also fallen for the personal trainer while attending his Regiment Fitness boot camp.
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“Slag” was daubed on her dog grooming parlour.
She also started getting menacing phone calls, including one warning her: “When you leave your shop alone be careful because you are going to be raped.”
The car that exploded after being torched was a black Mini identical to hers.
A friend had parked it on her parents’ drive near Potters Bar, Herts.
Cans of petrol were also left at the house and at Mr Smith’s front door in Welwyn Garden City.
A mystery phone caller told him: “You know what’s coming next.”
The jealous husband denied plotting arson but was found guilty by a jury. The verdict followed a conviction for harassment earlier this year.
His wife was found guilty of putting a person in fear of violence by harassment — which she had denied.
Judge Jonathan Carroll told her: “You knew full well it was going on.
“You were enjoying it and encouraging it.”
The Stevenage couple were helped in their sick crusade by a friend who was also convicted of conspiracy to commit arson.
James Williams, 39, from St Albans, was jailed for seven years. Prosecutor Anthony Heaton-Armstrong described him as a willing “henchperson”.
But he said: “The ringleader was Neil Ansell.
“His second in command was his wife Louise Ansell.”
The court was told the fitness instructor has since split from Stephanie.
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