A doctor has been found guilty of poisoning his lover in a failed attempt to induce an abortion.
Dr Edward Erin, 44, a chest consultant at St Mary’s Hospital, spiked the drinks of Bella Prowse, 33, after she became pregnant but refused a termination, the Old Bailey heard.
The jury found Erin guilty of two charges of attempting to administer poison - once in a cup of coffee from Starbucks and then in a glass of orange juice.
The married father-of-two had denied administering poison to procure a miscarriage. Miss Prowse gave birth to a healthy baby in September 2008.
The court had been told tests showed traces of the drug in both Miss Prowse’s body and a cup given to her by Erin.
But Erin was found not guilty on another charge of spiking a cup of tea given to Miss Prowse as the jury could not reach a decision.
The Crown Prosecution Service will decide next week whether to seek a retrial on that charge. Judge Richard Hone told Erin: “A custodial sentence is virtually inevitable.”
Erin, originally from Caerphilly, south Wales, was banned from working with patients by the GMC pending the verdict.
The wealthy doctor, who also owns a property company, began his affair with Miss Prowse at a Christmas party in 2007.
Read more at BBC Health.
Tags: fitness to practise
