Japanese woman dubbed 'Black Widow of Kyoto' admits poisoning fourth husband for money

Reportedly as many as ten men that Chisako Kakehi was either in a relationship with, or associated with, are known to have died. Photo / AP

By Neil Connor

A Japanese woman who is nicknamed "The Black Widow of Kyoto" told a court she would laugh in the face of a death sentence after she admitted fatally poisoning her husband to inherit his money one month after they married.

Chisako Kakehi, aged 70, said she used a cyanide compound to kill her fourth and most recent husband in December 2013. She is also accused of murdering two previous husbands and attempting to murder a boyfriend, The Daily Telegraph Reports.

"I have no intention of hiding the guilt," Ms Kakehi told the court in the city of Kyoto, after admitting the murder of 75-year-old Isao Kakehi.

"I will laugh it off and die if I am sentenced to death tomorrow."

Reports in Japan say as many as ten men that she was either in a relationship with, or associated with, are known to have died.

Ms Kakehi had previously expressed her sorrow - and innocence - when her lovers died of what was believed to have been natural causes between 2007 and 2013. However, at the same time, she also accepted an estimated Y1 billion (£6,8 million) in insurance payouts and inheritances.

At the start of the trial, Ms Kakehi's lawyers said she could not be held responsible for the crimes as she suffered from dementia. The prosecution acknowledged she had mild dementia, but they insisted Ms Kakehi was fit to stand trial.

She admitted that her motive for killing Mr Kakehi was to inherit his money so that she could pay off her debts, adding that she was treated poorly during her marriage with regards to money. Ms Kakehi told the court that she may have put the poison in a health food capsule which she tricked her husband into taking.

The trial is expected to last until November.