Wirral woman guilty of trying to murder husband with antifreeze

Jan 29 2008

A WOMAN who tried to kill her husband by slipping antifreeze into a drink has been convicted of attempting to murder him.

Kate Knight, of Dovedale Court, Garrick Avenue, Moreton, Wirral, denied trying to kill Lee Knight. He suffered kidney failure and brain damage in 2005.

But after deliberations went into a third day, jurors at Stafford Crown Court found her guilty. Knight was told to expect a 'substantial sentence.'

The Crown had told the court that the 28-year-old housewife wanted to kill her husband to pay off mounting debts after taking out loans without his knowledge.

When giving evidence during the trial, Mr Knight, accompanied by two carers, who would write words on the palm of his hand with a finger if he could not understand a question, was asked by Mr Michael Gledhill, QC, defending, if he remembered people telling him she was responsible.

He replied: “Yes, including my mum. She told me that Katie had tried to poison me with anti-freeze. I don't think it was straight away that I was told.”

Mr Gledhill asked: “You had no idea whether Katie had tried to poison you or not?” Mr Knight replied: “No.”

Mr Knight said he was in hospital for six months and “very seriously ill and told I was in a coma for 16 weeks or so. When I came round, I had no idea what happened to get me in hospital.”

Mr Knight agreed with Mr Gledhill that he did not appreciate until he came round that his wife had done anything.

“I can remember bad stomach cramps and pain before I went into hospital. Katie came with me to see the doctor. He told me to go home and drink as much fluid as I could but I kept being sick.”

Mr Gledhill asked if he could remember asking his wife to get some anti-freeze before he went into hospital, but he said: “I don't know anything about anti-freeze.”

Mr William Davis, QC, prosecuting, claimed Mr Knight was poisoned by his wife who put anti-freeze in a glass of wine.

He said: “She considered more than one way to kill him but her final choice was to put anti-freeze in his drink. She very nearly succeeded. He suffered kidney failure and brain damage and is deaf and blind. Her motive was financial and she had run up large debts. Her husband's life cover would be the solution to her financial woes.”

Sarah Johnson, a near neighbour friend, said in evidence Mrs Knight spoke to her about her husband.

She said: “She said she had a very unhappy relationship. She wanted life insurance of about £250,000 from his employer, JCB.”

In a statement read outside court from Mr Knight said: "In a short space of time, I realised I had lost everything, including my son, my wife had left me and also my job.

"I also lost my independence."

DC Martin Smith, who led the investigation, said: "It was a cowardly crime. Despite the weight of evidence again her, Kate Knight always refused to co-operate.

"I am very please by today's verdict."

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