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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Wife guilty of anti-freeze plot | Wife guilty of anti-freeze plot |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A woman has been found guilty of trying to kill her husband by slipping anti-freeze into his wine and curry. | |
| A jury at Stafford Crown Court found Kate Knight, 28, guilty of the attempted murder of husband Lee at their home in Stoke-on-Trent in 2005. | A jury at Stafford Crown Court found Kate Knight, 28, guilty of the attempted murder of husband Lee at their home in Stoke-on-Trent in 2005. |
| Mr Knight, a 37-year-old factory worker, suffered kidney failure and brain damage after being poisoned. | |
| After the hearing, he said his wife's actions had ruined his life. Sentencing was adjourned until a later date. | |
| Mr Knight now has brain damage, is blind, partially deaf and needs 24-hour care. | |
| Over the three-week trial the jury heard how Knight plotted to poison her husband, who worked for JCB, in order to collect a £130,000 pay-out from his employer and clear debts. | Over the three-week trial the jury heard how Knight plotted to poison her husband, who worked for JCB, in order to collect a £130,000 pay-out from his employer and clear debts. |
| Mr Knight, who lives with his parents and the couple's nine-year-old son Jack, said: "Kate has ruined my life." | Mr Knight, who lives with his parents and the couple's nine-year-old son Jack, said: "Kate has ruined my life." |
| Her cowardly crime almost caused the death of Lee Knight whose blindness is a life sentence in itself... Det Con Martin Smith Plot to kill husband | |
| In a statement, Mr Knight said: "It has been very stressful. I realised that my wife had left me. I lost my job, my house, everything I worked for and, worst of all, my son. | In a statement, Mr Knight said: "It has been very stressful. I realised that my wife had left me. I lost my job, my house, everything I worked for and, worst of all, my son. |
| "I have hardly any independence anymore - I need to have somebody with me all the time. I don't think I'll ever be able to work again." | "I have hardly any independence anymore - I need to have somebody with me all the time. I don't think I'll ever be able to work again." |
| He added that what his wife had done would have a big effect on their son's future. | He added that what his wife had done would have a big effect on their son's future. |
| During the trial Mr Knight gave evidence, supported in court by two hearing specialists. He wears two hearing aids after regaining some level of hearing following a recent operation. | |
| On the night of the couple's seventh wedding anniversary, Knight cooked her husband a curry and served him red wine - both of which had been laced with ethylene glycol, the chemical name for anti-freeze. | |
| The jury also heard over the course of the trial how Knight, originally from the Wirral, had used internet search engines to find a method of killing, settling on anti-freeze after ruling out ecstasy or an iron overdose. | |
| Knight's neighbour Sarah Johnson, 28, told the court how the accused had mentioned paying £50,000 to hire a hitman. | Knight's neighbour Sarah Johnson, 28, told the court how the accused had mentioned paying £50,000 to hire a hitman. |
| 'Cold and calculated' | 'Cold and calculated' |
| Under cross examination, Knight blamed her husband's health problems on drinking too much alcohol. | |
| Outside the court, Det Con Martin Smith, of Staffordshire Police, said: "This highly unusual case posed a number of investigative challenges. Despite the weight of evidence against her, Kate Knight refused to co-operate throughout. | |
| "Her cowardly crime almost caused the death of Lee Knight whose blindness is a life sentence in itself - he will never be able to properly see his young son again. | "Her cowardly crime almost caused the death of Lee Knight whose blindness is a life sentence in itself - he will never be able to properly see his young son again. |
| "Lee, with the support of his family, is piecing his life back together. I hope today's outcome will help them on their road to recovery." | "Lee, with the support of his family, is piecing his life back together. I hope today's outcome will help them on their road to recovery." |
| Crown Prosecution Service spokeswoman Katy Halls said the attack on Mr Knight had been "cold and calculated". | Crown Prosecution Service spokeswoman Katy Halls said the attack on Mr Knight had been "cold and calculated". |
| Ms Halls said: "Knight had every intention to kill her husband by poisoning him with the toxic substance. | Ms Halls said: "Knight had every intention to kill her husband by poisoning him with the toxic substance. |
| "Evidence was gathered from her computer showing that she had researched the effects of different substances ensuring she used the most lethal." | "Evidence was gathered from her computer showing that she had researched the effects of different substances ensuring she used the most lethal." |