A Polish cleaner has been sentenced to six years in prison after poisoning a colleague's tea over several weeks, with the crimes caught on a hidden camera installed by the victim. Małgorzata W, 56, was found guilty of attempting to cause serious bodily harm following a campaign that left her co-worker with severe internal injuries.
The victim, a 51-year-old woman, began noticing her drinks changing colour and tasting strange. She later suffered stomach pain, breathing difficulties, throat burns, and fainting spells, prompting medical attention. Doctors confirmed chemical burns to her mouth, oesophagus, and stomach from ingesting cleaning agents.
Suspecting foul play, the victim set up a hidden camera in the workplace kitchen. Footage showed Małgorzata selecting a bright green cleaning product, spraying it into a tea cup, mixing it, and wiping her fingerprints from the spoon. In one recording, she was heard saying on the phone: 'The tea is standing there, so you know what that means.'
The poisoning occurred between November 15 and December 27, 2024, at a Polish Radio building in Warsaw where both women worked for a cleaning company. Prosecutors said tensions arose after the victim reported Małgorzata for poor performance.
A second woman, Elzbieta D, was acquitted of failing to report the plot due to insufficient evidence. The court emphasised the premeditated and prolonged nature of the attacks, noting the risk to the victim's life.
