Man who poisoned his wife avoids jail

Published on Friday 28 August 2009 22:49

A PENSIONER who gave his estranged wife a poisoned chalice in a misguided attempt to woo her escaped a jail sentence yesterday.

William Dowling, 69, of Colne, Lancashire, slipped mercury into Maureen Dowling's tea on at least five occasions because he planned to win her affection, when she became ill, by nursing her back to health.

Dowling received a 350-day prison sentence, suspended for two years, at Preston Crown Court. Judge Robert Brown also imposed an 18-month supervision order.

The 69-year-old electrician admitted administering a poison or noxious substance with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy between January and April.

Mrs Dowling, 64, a cleaner, suffered symptoms including forgetfulness, indigestion and headaches but experts ruled the mercury had no serious adverse effect on her health.

The maximum possible sentence Dowling faced was five years in jail, the court heard.

Judge Brown told Dowling that his wife of 28 years left him because "she had become fed-up of what she regarded as your controlling attitude towards her".

He said: "In judging the seriousness of the crime you committed, your ... wanting her to return to your care is irrelevant.

"What is relevant is that you are not a medical expert and it follows from that that it was more by good luck than anything else that your wife did not suffer serious harm."