Police in Western Australia have charged a 43-year-old woman over an alleged attempt to poison a colleague’s food with snail pellets. The woman has not been publicly named.
Officers said the alleged victim, who is 58, cooked a meal for her co-workers in February, and it was shared at morning tea. When she returned at lunchtime to eat the leftovers, she saw bright green granules in the dish and felt her tongue go numb after tasting it.
Charge and court date for the accused
The accused, who was in a relationship with the alleged victim, faces a charge of endangering another person’s life, health or safety. The charge followed a months-long investigation, and she is due to appear in court on 5 November.
Detectives identify metaldehyde in the meal
Police allege the woman visited a chemical storage shed before going back to the staffroom where the curry was kept. The victim handed the dish to detectives, who identified the granules as snail pellets containing metaldehyde, a poisonous substance.
Commissioner Col Blanch told reporters the poison can cause serious injury or death. He said, “We’re just very thankful that the person who tasted the curry was aware of something that wasn’t quite right.”
