Jealous secret lover guilty of curry murder

Police said Lakhvir Singh was driven to murder to stop her secret lover of 16 years, Lakhvinder "Lucky" Cheema, marrying his young fiance.

The mother-of-three sneaked into Mr Cheema and his bride-to-be Gurjeet Choongh's home and spiked a curry in the fridge with deadly Indian aconite – known as the Queen of Poisons.

The couple ate the meal as they discussed their wedding, which was due to take place just weeks later on Valentine's Day last year.

Within hours of eating the curry on January 27, Mr Cheema, 39, was dead after having second helpings and Miss Choongh, 21, was fighting for her life in hospital.

After an Old Bailey jury found 45-year-old Singh guilty of murder, Miss Choongh emerged smiling from the court.

She said through an interpreter: "I would like to thank the police for their help and support throughout the investigation, and the witnesses for giving evidence."

Det Insp Tony Bishop said: "This was a murder by a woman who could not accept that her lover had found happiness with someone else and planned to get married.

"The poison that Singh used caused appalling symptoms meaning that the last hours of Lucky's life were extremely traumatic."

Singh, of Southall, west London, showed no emotion as she was found guilty of murder and remanded in custody until today.

She was also found guilty of causing Miss Choongh grievous bodily harm with intent but was cleared of attempting to murder her.

The jury is still considering a charge alleging she administered poison to Mr Cheema in December 2008 at his home in Princes Road, Feltham, west London.

Aconite, which comes from the roots of a plant, is one of the most deadly poisons in the world but this was the first case of it being used in England since 1882.

After her arrest, Singh tried to blame her brother-in-law Varinder for the death.

But a lodger at the house saw her take a container with the curry out of the fridge earlier in the day, the court heard.

Singh and Mr Cheema had been having a secret affair for 16 years but he decided to settle down and have children.

Singh's husband was being treated for cancer abroad and she claimed to police Mr Cheema had talked her out of divorcing him.

Despite Mr Cheema falling in love with Miss Choongh, Singh continued to text Mr Cheema with love messages and tried to talk him out of marrying her.

After the engagement became final in November 2008, Singh went to India and returned three weeks later.

A week later, Mr Cheema was taken to hospital with an undiagnosed illness after eating a meal cooked by Singh.

Singh stayed by his hospital bedside and it was there that Miss Choongh realised there had been a relationship and warned her off.

Miss Choongh spoke about the meal in January. She said: "Lucky ate more than I. After that, he had second helpings.

"Lucky said to me 'I am not feeling very well. My face has become numb and when I touch it, I cannot feel it'."

Miss Choongh had a shower and then said she began feeling similar symptoms.

Suspicious that Singh had poisoned them, Mr Cheema rang for an ambulance. He told the operator: "Someone put poison in our food ... she is my ex-girlfriend."

The last thing Miss Choongh remembers is sitting on a hospital bed before being placed into a coma for two days while doctors traced the poison and gave her an antidote.

Police later found the poison among herbs in Singh's coat pocket and in her handbag.