Source : Perth Now news
A woman accused of using toxic snail pellets to lace the lunch of a colleague and person she had a “personal relationship” with has appeared in court for the first time.
Jean Hunt, 43, allegedly put the slug bait into a curry prepared by a 58-year-old woman she worked with at a business in Oldbury, south of Perth, in February.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Woman charged over alleged snail pellet poisoning
Police said the alleged victim had brought the meal to share with fellow staff and that it had been enjoyed without issue during a morning tea break on February 12.
But when the cook opened the container of food during her lunch break, she allegedly noticed bright green granules.
The alarm was raised with police after she tasted the meal and her tongue went numb, authorities said.
The curry was tested and officers said it returned a positive result for metaldehyde.
Experts say the chemical compound is a “relatively potent neurotoxin” that targets the nervous system and muscles.
Hunt allegedly accessed a chemical storage shed and added the pellets to the curry after after the morning tea break.
She was arrested in Golden Bay in October and charged with unlawful act or omission with intent to harm.
The alleged motive remains unknown.
Police allege the colleagues were also in a “personal relationship”.
Hunt represented herself in Armadale Magistrates Court on Thursday and she did not enter a plea.
The matter was adjourned until December and her bail has been renewed.
