A CWMBRAN mum broke down in tears in court yesterday (Tuesday) as she gave evidence about her late husband’s extra-marital affair, during the third week of a trial in which she is accused of laundering cash from the sale of counterfeit cigarettes.

Sara Skinner of Oakleigh Court, Henllys, denies eight counts of converting criminal property, said to be counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco, to fund what the court has heard described as her "lavish lifestyle".

Simon Leighton, 42, of Maple Road South, Griffithstown, is on trial at Newport Crown Court alongside Skinner charged with one count of becoming concerned in money laundering, said to be the proceeds of selling fake cigarettes and tobacco from his ice cream van. He denies the charge.

Mrs Skinner, 44, told the court yesterday that in 2010, her husband Mark Skinner called her at work and told her that he loved her and their children, but that he had a secret which he couldn't tell her.

She left work and went home where she said her husband told her he’d been having an affair with another woman, with whom he had two children.

Mrs Skinner told the court her husband had been seeing those children on a regular basis and had been paying their mother monthly maintenance.

The defendant told the court on finding out about the affair: “It destroyed me."

After later deciding to stay together she said: "He became the perfect husband, the one I’d always wanted. He gave me anything I wanted, he spoiled me.

“He devastated me, he just wanted to try and make me happy.”

Mrs Skinner told the court that since her husband’s death last year at the age of 54, she had found he had savings accounts that she didn’t know about.

She said: “Twenty years of my married life have been a lie.”

Mrs Skinner’s bank accounts are currently frozen but £50,169 in cash was paid into Santander and Barclays accounts from 2008 to 2012, the court heard.

John Ryan, defending Mrs Skinner, said there was still a "significant amount of legitimate money" coming into her account from 2007 to 2012, namely £106,000.

Natalie Sullivan, the lead officer in the case, said no cigarettes were found in the house, the grounds or the cars when a search warrant was carried out on February 22, 2013, at Sara Skinner's home.

Proceeding.