Man poisons co-worker for stealing drink bottle

A POLICE officer switched his blue Powerade with a chemical in an attempt to teach his colleague a lesson for repeatedly stealing his drink bottle.

A police officer emptied his own drink bottle and replaced it with screenwash because he was "dismayed" two of h...

A POLICE officer tried to poison his colleague in an attempt to teach him a lesson for repeatedly stealing his drink bottle, a court has heard.

Child protection detective Gary Quigley, 46, filled a Powerade bottle with potentially lethal blue screenwash because he was "fed up" his drink kept getting stolen.

Detective Constable Steve Halfhide, who worked in Stratford, East London, drank two mouthfuls of the chemical and became violently ill, the Daily Mail reported.

"I swallowed two mouthfuls. I instantly felt burning in my throat and then I was physically sick into the sink," Mr Halfhide said.

"I then went into one of the toilets and I was sick. I still had the burning in my throat.

"I obviously wasn't aware at the time of what it was I had. I was quite anxious and a little bit panicky."

Mr Halfhide drank milk and brushed his teeth before decanting the liquid down the sink.

"It didn't look any different (to Powerade). It smelled to me like undiluted screenwash that was quite concentrated," he said.

Quigley told a police officer he emptied his own drink bottle and replaced it with screenwash because he was "dismayed" two of his drinks were stolen from a communal work fridge. He said his "sole intention was to catch the thief" and not to cause harm, jurors heard.

Quigley said in a prepared statement: "I admit fully and accept all culpability for my actions.

"I am extremely sorry and deeply remorseful for what has happened. It was never my intention to cause any injury to anyone.

"However, I do accept that my actions were likely to cause grievance or annoyance."

Mr Halfhide was not seriously injured.

Prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward said: "The prosecution say that whether this drink was in fact DC Halfhide's, or whether he thought it was, or even if he was stealing DC Quigley's drink is irrelevant.

"This was a dangerous and completely disproportionate thing to do in the circumstances."

Quigley denies a single count of administering a poison or noxious substance with intent.

The trial continues.

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