Woman suspected of poisoning Australian charged with attempted murder

Taipei, Dec. 20 (CNA) A woman who allegedly spiked the food and drinks of an Australian man with rat poison, leaving him in intensive care, has been charged with attempted murder, the Taipei District Prosecutors Office said Friday.

The woman, identified by her surname Yang (楊), is accused of repeatedly poisoning Alex Shorey over the course of several months last year to prevent the Australian man from leaving Taiwan, prosecutors said in a news statement.

Shorey was ultimately evacuated back to Australia on May 3 last year after being admitted to intensive care in Taiwan.

According to prosecutors, Yang put bromadiolone, a rodenticide that prevents blood from clotting, in a drink she gave to Shorey at her home on March 24, 2023, after Shorey told Yang he planned to return to Australia in mid-April.

After ingesting the poison, Shorey was admitted to Taipei Medical University Hospital on March 25 with symptoms, including stomachache, diarrhea, nosebleeds and blood in urine, prosecutors said.

Doctors at the hospital only determined that Shorey's symptoms were caused by the toxin superwarfarin on April 10, prosecutors added

Shorey's father arrived in Taiwan on April 9 to look after his son and planned to take him back to Australia on April 16, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said that despite knowing that Shorey had not recovered from the bromadiolone poisoning, Yang continued to spike his food with bromadiolone as well as the blood pressure medication amlodipine, leading to Shorey being hospitalized again on April 17.

According to prosecutors, Yang deceived Shorey's father into signing a form denying permission to place Shorey in intensive care, against doctors' advice.

While Shorey was hospitalized, Yang poisoned him on an unknown number of occasions between April 30 and May 2 after confronting him about a photo of him, his employer -- a woman who runs an online business providing English lessons -- and his employer's daughter on his phone, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said that Shorey's mother found an empty bottle of the rodenticide at Yang's residence on May 1 when packing her son's things.

A search of Yang's home on May 3 and May 5 uncovered three mugs with traces of the rodenticide, prosecutors said.

Yang has been charged with attempted murder because she continued to poison Shorey despite knowing her actions could kill him, prosecutors added.

Meanwhile, Yang could face further charges related to the January 2023 death of her British husband.

According to police, Yang's husband showed symptoms similar to Shorey's before his death, leading them to notify prosecutors.