Jury out in west London curry poisoning trial

Lakhvir Singh had a 16-year affair with Lakhvinder Cheema

A jury has retired to consider its verdict in the trial of a woman accused of murdering her lover of 16 years by poisoning his curry.

Lakhvinder Cheema, 39, of Feltham, west London, died while his new fiancee Gurjeet Choongh, 22, fell seriously ill after eating the meal in January 2009.

Lakhvir Singh, 40, of Southall, denies murder and attempted murder.

The prosecution told the Old Bailey she carried out the poisoning because she could not accept her lover's marriage.

Mrs Singh also denies a charge of administering poison to Mr Cheema in December 2008.

Curry container

The five women and seven men of the panel have asked to take the curry container into the jury room.

The small, round plastic container with a blue lid, still stained with the spiked vegetarian "chicken-style" curry, was produced in an exhibit bag.

Judge Worsley warned them that they should not remove it from the bag but could test the lid in the see-through wrapper.

But he refused a request from the jury to have the container of herbs containing aconite found in Singh's coat pocket.

He said jurors would have to make do with photographs as he was reluctant to let them have such a "highly dangerous" substance.