Perth woman charged over allegedly putting snail pellets in colleague's curry

Mixed · 2A 43-year-old woman has been charged by Western Australia Police after allegedly putting poisonous snail pellets in a colleague's curry. 1 2 Left · 1Police said the incident happened in February at a workplace in Oldbury, a semi-rural area south-east of Perth. 1 Mixed · 2The alleged victim, a 58-year-old woman, brought curry to work to share; colleagues ate it at morning tea without issue. 1 2

Mixed · 2When she went back to eat more at lunchtime, she noticed bright green granules in the food and, after tasting it, reported numbness to her tongue. 1 2 Mixed · 2Police allege that between morning tea and lunch the accused visited a chemical storage shed, returned to the staff room where the food was kept and added snail pellets to the curry. 1 2 Mixed · 2The food was handed to police, and detectives allege the substance was snail pellets containing metaldehyde, a poisonous substance. 1 2

Mixed · 2The woman, who has not been named, faces one count of endangering the life, health or safety of a person, and police say the two women were in a personal relationship. BBC News reported the charge followed a months-long investigation. 1 2 Centre · 1Commissioner Col Blanch said the poison can cause serious injury or death and that police were thankful the person who tasted the curry noticed something was wrong, according to the Seven Network as quoted by BBC News. 2 Mixed · 2She is due to appear in Armadale Magistrates Court on 5 November. 1 2