Wife jailed for using anti-freeze to spike husband's Christmas Day Lambrini

A woman has been jailed for attempting to murder her husband by spiking his cherry Lambrini with anti-freeze on Christmas Day.

Jacqueline Patrick, 55, was encouraged by her daughter Katherine, 21, to poison Douglas Patrick, who was left fighting for his life after collapsing at the family home in Gipsy Hill in south London.

He was rushed to King's College Hospital on Boxing Day 2013, Inner London Crown Court heard, having survived a previous attempt by her to kill him that October by mixing medication into his drink.

Jacqueline Patrick pleaded guilty last month to two counts of attempted murder and Katherine admitted a charge of inciting another to administer a noxious substance.

The mother was given a sentence of 15 years for each charge, to be served concurrently, and her daughter received a three-year jail sentence.

Sam Brown, prosecuting, told the court: "There was a concerted, planned and persistent attempt to murder Douglas Patrick. It was hoped the lethal dose and effects could be disguised as an adverse reaction to medication during that period or as a consequence of an attempt to take his own life."

The pair had been married for almost 30 years and had two children: Katherine, known as Katie, and another older daughter.

Julia Flanagan, mitigating for Katherine, described her as a "sensitive and timid girl" who was "overly reliant" on her mother and a psychological report found her to be "not as mature as others of her age".

The court heard that Jacqueline poured anti-freeze into the Lambrini and gave her husband two glasses of it as she served him supper after a family argument on Christmas Day.

When he became ill the next morning she phoned the ambulance and told them he had previously suffered from kidney failure and that a couple of drinks the day before had caused the condition to "flare up again".

She faked a note from Mr Patrick, saying that he did not wish to be revived and wanted to die in dignity with his family by his side.

When results showed he was suffering from anti-freeze poisoning, Jacqueline said her husband "may" have drunk a blue liquid by mistake and the hospital called police.

A text message sent by Jacqueline to her daughter in October read: "I got the stuff I will give him some later delete txt tell no one ok."

In a statement read to the court, Mr Patrick said: "I will never get over it. It broke me. This was a person I loved and love."

The court heard Mr Patrick had not wanted to pursue a case against his wife and daughter and did not want to see them jailed.

Detective Inspector Tracey Miller said: "At a time when a family should be celebrating the festive season, Patrick was plotting how to get rid of her husband once and for all, aided by her daughter.

"Mr Patrick came very close to dying and while he lay in his hospital bed fighting for his life, his wife told lie after lie to cover her tracks."