Doctor jailed for spiking pregnant lover's drinks

A hospital consultant in Britain was jailed for six years today for trying to poison his lover to bring on an abortion.

After the court heard that his life had been threatened in prison, the judge said he had been exposed as a “liar, cheat and predator”.

Judge Richard Hone told the Old Bailey that Dr Edward Erin had led a fantasy life where he preyed on women by dazzling them with his wealth.

But he had betrayed his profession, his wife and lover Bella Prowse.

Erin, (aged 44), a married father of two from Kensington, west London, was found guilty last month of two offences of attempting to administer abortion-inducing drugs to Miss Prowse, 33.

Judge Hone jailed him for six years on each count, to be served concurrently.

Erin, wearing a dark suit and tie, stood with his hands crossed, staring at the judge and not blinking during the 20-minute sentencing.

Miss Prowse sat in the public gallery above, being hugged by her sister, as he was led away to the cells.

Clare Montgomery QC, defending, said he had been threatened in high-security Belmarsh prison and was being treated as a vulnerable prisoner.

Erin had been a chest consultant at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, west London, when Miss Prowse, who worked there as a secretary, became the latest in a series of affairs.

They had a brief relationship following a Christmas party. But six weeks later, she found she was pregnant.

After she refused to have an abortion, Erin panicked and put ground-up tablets into a coffee at Starbucks in Paddington on February 7 last year.

Miss Prowse became suspicious when she noticed the cup had been opened and saw the coffee.

The following day, he tried again with powder in a bottle of orange juice at the hospital.

Miss Prowse realised the seal had been broken and took the contents of both drinks to police.

She spent the remainder of her pregnancy in agony, not knowing if the baby would be harmed by any of the drugs she may have unwittingly taken.

But she gave birth to a healthy boy, Ernie, in September last year. Erin disputes his paternity and says he has not been told the results of a paternity test.