Man dies four years after colleague poisoned his sandwich with mercury

His death was confirmed on Thursday by the state court in Bielefeld, which convicted the suspect in the case last year.

During his trial a psychologist said the poisoner, identified only as Klaus O. for privacy reasons came across like a researcher who was trying to see how different substances affected rabbits".

The poisoned man's parents spoke about his suffering during the trial last year, German news agency dpa reported.

A 57-year-old Klaus O. was sentenced to life in prison last March after the court found him guilty of attempted murder.

The defendant, who has appealed against the verdict, peppered co-workers' food with mercury and other substances over several years, leaving one in a coma and two others with serious kidney damage.

The case came to light after a colleague at a metal fittings company in the town of Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock, in north-western Germany, noticed a white powder on his lunch.

He was arrested in May 2018 after surveillance video showed him putting a suspicious powder on a colleague's sandwich at their workplace.

Following his trial in March last year, a judge ruled Klaus O would not have his sentence reduced because he was a "danger to the general public".

Tests identified it as lead acetate and mercury, almost tasteless substances that if ingested could lead to serious organ damage.

Exposure to mercury can cause a number of health issues including skin, neurological and kidney problems.

Most exposure comes from eating fish, coal and gold mining, or dental fillings.

Credit: Daily Mirror

Man dies four years after colleague poisoned his sandwich with mercury

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