A man, known as Dirk G, has been sentenced to eleven years and four months in prison for poisoning a pepperoni and mushroom pizza intended for his wife and son. Prior to this incident, he had searched online about deducting funeral expenses from taxes. Dirk, 56, confessed in court, acknowledging his actions as monstrous.

The individual, a salesman, aimed to end his marriage discreetly to avoid the stigma of divorce and pursue a new life with his 40-year-old partner from Thailand. Prosecutors revealed that he had been adding various toxins to his wife’s food over time.

His online searches included inquiries about using monkshood as a lethal substance. Following an initial poisoning attempt with rosary peas, he even researched the tax implications of funerals. Prosecutor Michael Hoffmann stated that the husband’s motive was to eliminate his wife to be with his new lover.

Despite several unexplained health issues, including collapses, his wife survived and was fitted with a pacemaker after the poisoning went undetected by doctors. In December 2024, emergency treatment saved both her and their son from further harm.

Dirk G, a resident of Bamberg, Germany, fled with his lover but was apprehended in southern France. Judges concluded that he had acted treacherously in three attempts of murder, although no direct financial gain was identified.

In a surprising turn of events, the wife chose not to seek the maximum life sentence for Dirk G, expressing a desire for punishment without total destruction.

In a separate incident, an Australian woman named Erin Patterson, 50, received a life sentence with a minimum of 33 years before parole eligibility for killing three family members and attempting to poison another with a toxic meal.

Patterson’s victims, Don and Gail Patterson, aged 70, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, aged 66, were fatally poisoned by a toxic beef Wellington served by Patterson in Victoria in 2023. Heather’s husband survived, although he dealt with health complications post-coma. The Supreme Court categorized Patterson’s actions as severe offenses involving an elaborate cover-up.