Home Office chief spiked lover’s drink to stop tot
A BOSS at the Home Office who laced his pregnant lover’s drink with abortion drugs was jailed for three years and nine months.
Married Darren Burke tried to serve Laura Slade a spiked glass of orange juice after she told him she would keep the baby, jurors heard.
Ms Slade, who became suspicious, refused to drink it, and called police. Traces of mifepristone, a medication that brings about abortions early in pregnancy, were found.
Isleworth crown court heard Ms Slade told Burke she was pregnant in November 2020.
He later sent her a link to a local abortion clinic and told her: “Babes I understand it’s your body but you can’t keep it.”
A week later Ms Slade, a single mum, told Burke she would keep the baby which led to an “acrimonious” conversation on Whatsapp. On December 3, Burke messaged her asking if he could come over for a chat and bring her a “Starbucks latte or a tea”.
When he arrived he offered her a cup of tea, which she refused, but he went into the kitchen and came back with a glass of orange juice mixed with water.
Ms Slade said she turned it down, adding: “I had a gut feeling something wasn’t right.” Ms Slade said after he left she saw the glass in the sink and noticed “white granules”. Burke admitted buying the drugs on the internet for £200.
Ms Slade suffered a miscarriage a few weeks later but it was not related to the incident.
Burke, 43, of Windsor, Berks, was sacked as deputy director for the emergency services mobile communications programme.
He was convicted of unlawfully administering a poison to procure a miscarriage.