LONDON (AP) — A retired television producer has been convicted of trying to hire hit men to kill his partner, after a jury rejected his claim that he was merely conducting research for a thriller.

Prosecutors say David Harris offered three men large sums of money to kill his partner, Hazel Allinson, a former scriptwriter. Both worked on long-running British TV police series "The Bill."

The first man declined to carry out the hit and the second went to police. The third "killer" was an undercover police officer.

The 68-year-old Harris told a London jury that he was working on a thriller called "Too Close to Kill."

But prosecution lawyer William Boyce said the producer was "utterly intent on the death of Hazel."

Jurors convicted Harris Thursday of soliciting murder.