A woman accused of poisoning her former lover after secretly putting an ancient herbal poison into food stored in a fridge has been given a life sentence for his murder.

Mother-of-three Lakhvir Kaur Singh, 40, of Marlborough Road, West Southall, London, was sentenced to a minimum of 23 years in jail for causing cleaner Lakhvinder ‘Lucky’ Cheema, 39, what was described as an agonising death.

Mr Cheema and his fiancée Gurjeet Choough, 23, who ate the meal hours after it was laced with Indian Aconite on January 27 2009, felt paralysis creeping through their bodies within a few minutes.

Blinded as well, Mr Cheema, of Princes Road, Feltham, London, died within an hour of being taken to West Middlesex University Hospital by car by his sister Narinder. Miss Choough, who had eaten a smaller portion of the food, survived after being put into a medically-induced coma.

As he fell ill, Mr Cheema asked two women living in the house if anyone had visited and they told him a woman they thought was his sister went into his kitchen, took the container from the fridge, put something in it, put it in the microwave and then returned it to the fridge.

Miss Choough told the court her fiancé told her that if it was Lakhvir who had come to the house she had definitely put something in the food. Singh still held a key to the property.

The jury heard that Singh allegedly poisoned another meal eaten by Mr Cheema on December 6, 2008, but he recovered after spending a week in hospital.

After the second incident police found two bags of herbs containing poison in Singh’s coat and in a handbag at her home.

She was said to have killed Mr Cheema out of “jealousy, anger and revenge” after he got engaged to Miss Choough in December 2008.

Singh denied murder and attempted murder of Ms Choough on January 28, 2009 and the attempted murder of Mr Cheema on December 6, 2008.

She was found guilty of causing Ms Choough grievous bodily harm with intent, but was cleared of attempting to murder her and of administering poison to Mr Cheema in December 2008.

Judge Paul Worsley said he was satisfied Singh had gone to India in November 2008 for Indian Aconite with murder on her mind. A month earlier she had been told that her lover for 16 years was to marry a younger woman.

Within a week of her return, a small quantity of the poison entered her lover’s food.

Singh took him to hospital, visited him every day and showed her concern, hoping he would break off the engagement but he declined to return to her in the face of both entreaties and, later, threats.

The Judge said Singh – who showed no emotion when the sentence was read out – set about a cold and calculating revenge.

On the morning of January 27 at Lakhvinder’s home she took a container of vegetable curry from the fridge and added Aconite – also known as the Queen of Poisons – realising how deadly it was and how agonising its effects would be.

The judge told Singh: “You have shown no remorse whatsoever. At your trial you sought to blame a wholly innocent member of your family (brother Varinder Pal Singh) for your deeds.

“Your actions came as close as can be to claiming the lives of two people who were about to start a new life together.”

Singh’s barrister told the jury that Varinder was the more likely killer. But the jury rejected the claim.
Miss Choough had told the jury how she told Singh to leave her and her husband-to-be alone and look after her family.

Singh had attempted to break up the couple by telling Mr Cheema his young fiancee, who entered the country illegally, was only after a British passport. She got into a jealous rage after seeing the couple in bed through a window and threatened to burn the house down.

The jury heard that Singh became pregnant twice during her affair with Mr Cheema, which was conducted while her husband, Aunkar, 57, was receiving treatment for cancer. Mr Cheema forced her to have abortions each time.

In a statement Ms Choough said Mr Cheema was looking forward to having children with her, and also having his elderly father live with them.

She said the poisoning took her to the brink of death and she believed it would affect her for the rest of her life. Doctors were not sure whether it would have a long-term effect on her internal organs.