A man has been charged after he attempted to murder his own wife using insecticide.
You know, the stuff they put on crops and tell us is safe?
At a glance:
- Stephan Wagner, 61, is accused of attempting to murder his wife by lacing her tea with ant poison from December 2022 to September 2024.
- His wife, Glenda Wagner, 66, was hospitalized but has since been released after allegedly consuming tea laced with Ant-Rid pesticide containing borax.
- Wagner has been charged with multiple domestic violence-related offenses, including attempted murder, and remains in custody without bail.
A 61-year-old Sydney man, Stephan Wagner, is facing serious charges after being accused of attempting to kill his wife, Glenda Wagner, by lacing her tea with ant poison over the course of nearly two years. Police arrested Wagner at his home in St Andrews on Tuesday after a months-long investigation into the alleged poisoning.
According to authorities, Wagner used a pesticide called Ant-Rid, which contains the toxin borax, in tea he prepared for his wife. The alleged poisoning occurred between December 2022 and September 2024, ultimately leading to Glenda’s hospitalization. She has since been released and is recovering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-9PumXDF-k
Wagner was charged with multiple domestic violence-related offenses, including causing poison to be taken with the intent to murder, using poison to endanger life, and using poison to inflict grievous bodily harm. Police also seized a bottle of insecticide from Wagner’s home for forensic testing.
During a brief court appearance via video-link at Campbelltown Local Court, Wagner did not apply for bail. The court has imposed an interim apprehended violence order (AVO), barring Wagner from contacting his wife or coming within one kilometer of her home or workplace. His next court appearance is scheduled for December 4.
Police launched their investigation in September after receiving reports of the alleged poisoning, establishing Strike Force Southport to look into the case. Wagner, a semi-retired businessman who previously worked as a regional manager at the federal Department of Industry, Science, and Resources, faces a lengthy legal battle as more details of the case unfold.
This case has sent shockwaves through the local community, raising concerns about domestic violence and the use of harmful substances in seemingly ordinary household items.
