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| Wife found guilty of poison plot | Wife found guilty of poison plot |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| A woman has been found guilty of poisoning her husband in an attempt to confuse him while she stole £43,000 from his mother. | A woman has been found guilty of poisoning her husband in an attempt to confuse him while she stole £43,000 from his mother. |
| Heather Mook, who denied the charge, had a previous conviction for poisoning her seven-year-old daughter in 1982. | Heather Mook, who denied the charge, had a previous conviction for poisoning her seven-year-old daughter in 1982. |
| Mook, 57, of Heslington Road, York, was described as "deceitful and dishonest" at York Crown Court. | Mook, 57, of Heslington Road, York, was described as "deceitful and dishonest" at York Crown Court. |
| She was found guilty of two counts of poisoning so as to endanger life. Sentencing was adjourned for reports. | She was found guilty of two counts of poisoning so as to endanger life. Sentencing was adjourned for reports. |
| He was lying on a mattress on the floor staring at me pretending he was fishing and driving a bus Tracy Hardwick, daughter of John Mook | He was lying on a mattress on the floor staring at me pretending he was fishing and driving a bus Tracy Hardwick, daughter of John Mook |
| A jury took two-and-a-half hours to find her guilty of poisoning John Mook, her fourth husband, with an anti-depressant drug. | A jury took two-and-a-half hours to find her guilty of poisoning John Mook, her fourth husband, with an anti-depressant drug. |
| She had already admitted a number of other charges, including giving her husband rat killer and other theft-related offences. | She had already admitted a number of other charges, including giving her husband rat killer and other theft-related offences. |
| She was cleared of four counts of endangering her husband's life by administering the anti-depressants. | She was cleared of four counts of endangering her husband's life by administering the anti-depressants. |
| Judge James Spencer QC told Mook a jail sentence was "inevitable". | Judge James Spencer QC told Mook a jail sentence was "inevitable". |
| The jury had heard Mook tricked her husband into taking the tablets - as many as nine on one occasion - by telling him they were muscle relaxants. | The jury had heard Mook tricked her husband into taking the tablets - as many as nine on one occasion - by telling him they were muscle relaxants. |
| While he was in hospital recovering from the poisoning she again tricked him into taking more tablets. | |
| Mr Mook's daughter, Tracy Hardwick, earlier told the jury how she had been "totally shocked" when visiting Mr Mook in hospital. | Mr Mook's daughter, Tracy Hardwick, earlier told the jury how she had been "totally shocked" when visiting Mr Mook in hospital. |
| 'Fishing and driving' | 'Fishing and driving' |
| She said: "He was lying on a mattress on the floor staring at me pretending he was fishing and driving a bus." | She said: "He was lying on a mattress on the floor staring at me pretending he was fishing and driving a bus." |
| She said his condition had baffled hospital staff, with a number of tests coming back negative before eventually showing he had suffered an overdose of anti-depressants. | She said his condition had baffled hospital staff, with a number of tests coming back negative before eventually showing he had suffered an overdose of anti-depressants. |
| The court heard Mr Mook had often complained of feeling tired and unwell, but put it down to a prostate problem he was suffering. | The court heard Mr Mook had often complained of feeling tired and unwell, but put it down to a prostate problem he was suffering. |
| Speaking after the verdict, Insp Nigel Costello said Mook had gone to "extraordinary lengths" to make sure her husband did not discover her theft. | Speaking after the verdict, Insp Nigel Costello said Mook had gone to "extraordinary lengths" to make sure her husband did not discover her theft. |
| The money stolen from Mr Mook's mother, Freda, had been intended to pay for the cost of her residential nursing home. | The money stolen from Mr Mook's mother, Freda, had been intended to pay for the cost of her residential nursing home. |
| Police said Mook may have squandered the money on holidays or used it to pay off a debt she had incurred before meeting Mr Mook. | Police said Mook may have squandered the money on holidays or used it to pay off a debt she had incurred before meeting Mr Mook. |