A woman in Spain allegedly killed her partner with laxatives before stealing £75,000 of his savings.
The 70-year-old man was in hospital in Valencia for seven months with chronic diarrhoea and medics struggled to improve his health.
According to local reports, one of the reasons investigators started suspecting his partner was because the patient's health would improve when he was admitted to intensive care - where he wasn't allowed visits - but would worsen whenever he was put back on a normal ward.
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His relatives contacted the authorities after noticing £75,000 of his savings had gone missing from his account.
His unnamed 56-year-old girlfriend is said to have withdrawn more than £50,000 from his bank account and spent another £25,000 using his debit and credit cards.
She was arrested by detectives after they seized several receipts for medicine to treat constipation.
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As well as being held in relation to the death of her partner, she is also being investigated on suspicion of misappropriation and fraud.
Laxative abuse leads to the body being deprived of the minerals and electrolytes it needs for proper functioning of the nerves and muscles. It can result in serious intestinal harm, as well as damage to the kidneys, heart and liver, and in severe cases it can be fatal.
It was not immediately clear yesterday (Sunday 13 February) how the alleged poisoning occurred, but the woman is thought to have slipped the laxatives into her partner's meals while she was visiting him in hospital.
She also reportedly stopped his family and friends from seeing him, falsely claiming visits were prohibited due to Covid-19 restrictions.
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In 2018, Charlie Rowley stumbled upon the deadly nerve agent used in the Salisbury Poisonings, before tragically gifting it to his girlfriend Dawn Sturgess.
He had been searching through charity shops for bits and pieces to fill his new flat when he came across a perfume box, which was 'sealed in plastic' and 'expensive-looking'.
On the morning of 30 June, he gave the box to Dawn as an intended surprise gift.
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Recalling what happened next, Charlie recently told OK!: "Dawn happily sprayed it on her wrists and rubbed them together. I'd got spray on my hand so I went to wash it off.
"When I came back from the bathroom, Dawn was in a bad way, staring at nothing and foaming at the mouth."
Charlie had accidentally gifted his girlfriend Novichok, which had been used to poison a former Russian military officer and double agent for the British intelligence agencies three months earlier.
Charlie was rushed to the same hospital as Dawn, where she passed away the same day.
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Charlie was in hospital for three weeks on a ventilator; nerve damage meant he couldn't see properly, and he sustained problems with his heart and lungs.
He said: "I don’t feel comfortable outside home.
"Health-wise, my balance is totally off and I get double vision, so crossing the road can feel dangerous.
"I used to work as a builder, climbing ladders and carrying heavy things, but now I'd be a hazard."
Jake Massey