Woman 'used poison curry to kill ex-lover'

LONDON - A spurned woman poisoned her former lover and his new fiancee by lacing their curry with an ancient poison, the Old Bailey heard.

Lakhvinder Cheema, 39, died and Gurjeet Choough, 21, nearly lost her life last January after Lakhvir Singh spiked their meal two weeks before their wedding on Valentine's Day, it was alleged.

The couple had eaten a curry together at Cheema's home in Feltham, west London, and had become violently ill, said Edward Brown, QC, prosecuting. Cheema died within an hour of being taken to hospital, but Choough, who had eaten less of the meal, came out of a coma and recovered.

The court heard that Singh and Cheema had once been "long-term lovers", but his decision to marry Choough had angered his former partner so much that she decided to poison the engaged pair, mixing aconite into a chicken curry while visiting Cheema's home. The poison - which has been used for thousands of years and also known as "wolfsbane" - was found among herbs and powders in Singh's house.

Singh, 40, of Southall, west London, denies murder, attempted murder and administering poison. The trial continues.

- INDEPENDENT