A Met officer today admitted poisoning a colleague by spiking his drink with screenwash because he thought someone had been stealing his Lucozade.
Child abuse investigator Gary Quigley, 46, said he had put the potentially deadly liquid into the bottle in an attempt to catch the thief.
Fellow Met detective Steve Halfhide collapsed after taking a gulp from the bottle and had to be taken to hospital. Det Halfhide recovered following the incident in January last year at the Child Abuse Investigation Command in Stratford.
Quigley was charged with administering a poisonous or noxious substance with intent. He had previously denied the charge, but pleaded guilty on what would have been the first day of his trial at Southwark crown court.
Quigley, whose address was only given to the court as Charing Cross police station but is believed to live in Colchester, Essex, has already been placed on restricted duties by the Met. He is now facing a jail sentence and losing his job altogether.
Judge David Higgins adjourned the case for reports. He told Quigley: “This is a very serious case. The consequences in themselves are bad enough. They could have been horrible.”
Quigley’s barrister Richard Atchley told the court his client had done it because “he was upset colleagues had been taking his Lucozade”.
