An Australian woman has been charged after allegedly contaminating a colleague’s curry with snail poison in an incident that police say could have caused serious injury or death.
Police in Western Australia said the alleged victim prepared the meal for her co-workers in February, and several colleagues shared it during morning tea. However, when the 58-year-old woman returned to eat the leftovers at lunchtime, she noticed bright green granules in the food. She also experienced numbness in her tongue after tasting the meal.
The incident prompted an investigation that lasted several months and resulted in charges against a 43-year-old woman who was reportedly in a relationship with the alleged victim.
Police Identify Poisonous Substance
According to police, the accused allegedly visited a chemical storage shed before returning to the staffroom where the curry had been kept. After noticing the unusual substance and experiencing numbness, the alleged victim handed the remaining food to detectives for examination.
Investigators subsequently identified the granules as snail pellets containing metaldehyde, a poisonous chemical used in some molluscicides to control snails and slugs. Western Australia Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the substance could cause serious harm. He expressed relief that the woman recognised something was wrong with the food before consuming more of it.
“We’re just very thankful that the person who tasted the curry was aware of something that wasn’t quite right,” Blanch said, according to the Seven Network.
The 43-year-old woman, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, has been charged with endangering the life, health or safety of another person. She is scheduled to appear in court on November 5.
Police have not publicly disclosed further details about the alleged motive or the precise circumstances surrounding the incident. The case remains before the courts, and the allegations against the accused have yet to be tested in court.
