An ex-Croydon College student has been found not guilty of trying to poison her mother in a plot inspired by hit U.S. drama Breaking Bad.
Kuntal Patel, 36, was cleared of the attempted murder of her mother Meena Patel, an incident which was claimed in court to have been modelled on scenes from the television show.
However, a jury at Southwark Crown Court cleared her yesterday (October 2), but did find her guilty of acquiring a toxin. She will be sentenced on November 7.
Patel, of Plaistow, east London, had already admitted two counts of attempting to acquire toxins on other occasions.
The court heard how Patel was angry about her mother's alleged attempts to break her up with her boyfriend, based in the U.S.
The toxin in all three counts was abrin, a poisonous substance found in the seeds of rosary peas.
She purchased the toxin over the internet and arranged for it to be shipped to a friend's address in London.
Counter Terrorism Command T/Commander Duncan Ball said: "Our thorough and complex investigation identified that Kuntal Patel had purchased an extremely deadly toxin via the dark web.
"I would like to pass on my personal thanks to US law enforcement and other international agencies for their cooperation and assistance during this investigation."
