The Alexandra Magistrates’ Court remanded a 55-year-old man from Soweto in custody, pending further investigation, in an alleged case of attempted murder by poisoning of a 51-year-old co-worker.
The court heard that on 9 October last year, the accused allegedly spiked the colleague’s tea with a poisonous chemical taken from their printing company in Paulshof.
It was said that while the victim prepared tea for himself and another colleague (not the suspect), the victim left the cups unattended and went to fetch bread. In the interim, the suspect is said to have spiked the tea. On the victim’s return, he sipped his tea and felt a burning sensation on his tongue and in his mouth.
The victim was said to have poured the tea down the sink and rinsed out the cups. He then started sweating, presumably from the spiked tea, which is also said to have affected his blood pressure. The co-worker, who the victim made tea for, was said to have arrived and urged the victim to drink water and milk.
The co-worker expressed suspicion that the tea could have been spiked. He then accompanied the victim to report the incident to management. The victim then began to vomit and was taken to Sunninghill Hospital, thereafter he was transferred to Jabulani Clinic, Soweto, where he was treated for two days. Meanwhile, management viewed the office’s CCTV footage which allegedly showed the accused spiking the tea with the poisonous chemical. This led to the accused’s arrest.
The case continues.
