The wife of a wealthy farmer and her lover shared violent fantasies about killing him, a court has heard.

Angela Taylor, 53, and Paul Cannon, 54, exchanged WhatsApp messages describing in graphic detail how they wanted to harm 69-year-old William Taylor, St Albans Crown Court heard.

The pair harboured a “bitter, pervasive hatred” of Mr Taylor, who was “implacable” in refusing to grant his estranged wife a divorce, jurors were told.

On Thursday morning jurors heard a string of messages between the couple from throughout last year.

In the early hours of June 2, around 48 hours before Mr Taylor was last seen, Cannon messaged Taylor saying he wanted to “get rid of that poisonous c***”.

He said: “You know what I’d like to do… make love to you on his kitchen table… with him tied to a chair so he had to watch !!!!!!! Then send him to hell.”

Taylor replied: “Think that would kill him, last thing he saw was us making love xxxxxx.”

On June 3 at around 11.30pm, Cannon told Taylor he was “just watching Kill Bill 2 lol”, to which she replied “1 would be nice” with a series of smiling emojis.

Mr Taylor, the owner of a vast farming estate in Hertfordshire, went missing days before his 70th birthday last year.

He was last seen at around 9pm on June 3 by his grandson who had taken him a Sunday roast.

His decomposed body was found by a fisherman on a riverbank near his home of Harkness Hall, Gosmore, eight months later in February.

In May last year, Cannon wrote to Taylor: “I’m gonna give that c*** a heart attack. Man I could go the whole way with him!!!!!

“Best way is to cut their ligaments so they never walk again. Then cut fingers off.

“Might just fill his house with petrol and toast the c***. While in his bed.”

Taylor replied: “You read my mind.”

• Read More: Woman encouraged her lover to murder her wealthy husband out of ‘venomous hatred’, court hears

The pair also repeatedly discussed sexual fantasies of showering together as blood ran down the drain, jurors heard.

Cannon told Taylor: “I’ll kill for you darling. Man I get so scared of losing you … I’ll never find anyone like you again and I’ll never want anyone.”

Taylor and farm labourer Cannon are also accused of recruiting a second man, Gwyn Griffiths, to help kill Mr Taylor.

In February last year Cannon said Mr Taylor had “got to go. Quick”, with Taylor agreeing: “Only way. But someone else.”

Taylor later asked: “U fone that bloke?? Can’t keep going on like this,” and Cannon then phoned Griffiths, a work colleague, for around two minutes, the court heard.

He then messaged her saying: “I’m good darling just spoke to man going to be about 20!!!I’ll go halfs with you. I can get hold of ten !!! Cash.”

In police interviews Cannon said: “Messages between Angela and me related to no more than fantasy and banter of an extreme nature.”

Taylor said in police interview: “We have sent messages out of frustration. Bill was getting on my nerves.”

Prosecutor John Price QC told the court: “If it really is to be suggested that the conversation was merely an exercise in fantasy, is it then just an unfortunate coincidence that the man whom they say they hated, the man whose death they desired and appeared to plan to bring about in those messages, did in fact vanish off the face of the Earth during the time they were talking about making it happen?”

Two 40cm (16 in) lengths of slim rope were found next to Mr Taylor’s largely skeletonised remains, which wore wellington boots and blue overalls when found in the secluded riverbank.

A rotary watch on his wrist was found to have stopped at 1.40 on June 4, although it could not be determined whether this was am or pm, the court heard.

Forensic pathologist Dr Charlotte Randall carried out toxicology tests which found there was no sign of blunt force injuries, no gunshot or stab wounds, and no evidence of toxic substances being ingested.

Mr Price said: “In the neck, there was a possible fracture of one of the delicate neck structures, called the hyoid bone, raising the possibility of compression of the neck prior to death.”

But it was not possible to determine the precise cause of death owing to the advanced stage of decomposition, as the body had been partly submerged in water for eight months, Mr Price told the court.

Taylor and Cannon, both of Hitchin, Hertfordshire, deny murder, arson and an alternative charge of conspiracy to murder.

Griffiths, 60, of Folkestone, Kent, denies murder and the alternative charge of conspiracy to murder.

The court heard Taylor met her husband in 1992, and they married in 1997 and had three children together.

Mr Taylor also had a son, Richard, from a previous marriage and the two sides of the family were said to have “strongly disliked each other” for years, Mr Price told jurors.

Several days before he went missing, Mr Taylor’s Land Rover was seriously damaged by fire after a diesel-soaked towel was set alight inside it, the court heard.

DNA taken from the towel matched the profile of Cannon and the adult son of Taylor from a relationship before she met Mr Taylor – who was living with her at the time.

The trial, before judge Michael Kay QC, continues.

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