A NEW trial date has been set for an Army sergeant accused of the attempted murder of his wife whose parachute failed to open during a 4,000ft (1,200m) jump.

Emile Cilliers has pleaded not guilty to three charges in relation to his wife, Victoria Cilliers, 40, who suffered multiple serious injuries at Netheravon airfield on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire on April 5 2015.

During a preliminary hearing at Winchester Crown Court, the judge, Mrs Justice May, postponed the start of the trial to October 3 from the previous date of June 7 to enable expert witness reports to be prepared for the defence.

Cilliers, of Aldershot, Hampshire, denies two charges of attempting to murder his wife.

One offence is alleged to have taken place between March 24 and 31 2015, while the second allegedly happened between April 3 and 6 2015.

Cilliers also denies a charge of damaging a gas fitting belonging to his wife between March 28 and 31 2015.

He was released on conditional bail until the trial.