Husband gave me poison for years
Conman stole thousands from wife
A devoted wife was poisoned with laxatives by a thieving fantastist husband throughout their marriage.
David Smith, 62, laced successful Ayr business owner Liz’s meals with drugs over the course of three years putting her life at risk.
And the Walter Mitty character also lied that he was an SAS hero, owned a huge share in a factory and lost his first wife, a ballerina, in an accident.
The gran- of- three had to give up work because of constantly passing out and battled sickness, diarrhoea and dizziness.
The 62- year- old never once suspected her husband was the cause of her problems until he was caught stealing thousands of pounds from her.
The nail technician told the Post: “He was an evil genius. He made me so ill. The kids could have lost their grandmother. I was never away from the doctor and was admitted to hospital but no one knew what was wrong.
“He was my whole world and we were like soulmates. I loved him with every bone in my body. Now I hate him. He told me so many lies. My heart, soul and body was violated by a stranger. I never knew him.”
Smith appeared in Ayr Sheriff Court last week where he admitted culpably and recklessly feeding her
laxatives, knowing they could be injurious, at her Beresford Terrace home. He will be sentenced at a later date.
His drugging began in 2012 while the pair where in a long- distance relationship until after they wed in 2015. Liz started to feel unwell and noticed her bank balance dwindling.
Doctors were baffled by her symptoms. They thought she might have motor neurone disease or multiple sclerosis as she lost weight and suffered from severe dehyrdration.
Liz said: “He would make me lovely chicken dishes, spaghetti bolognese and smoothies. He was good in the kitchen.
“But every second weekend when he visited I became violently ill as he was poisoning the meals.
“My family feared I would die. I ended up in hospital and was never away from the doctor.
“Once I was screaming with pain and he took me to A& E and my skin was grey.
“I remember he kept telling the consultant that I got confused. My body was starting to shut down.
“Another time I was covered in vomit and he cleaned me up. I was so grateful and thought he was a wonderful man.”
The constant sickness left her largely housebound so she couldn’t understand why her bank balance was going down – sparking concerns over card cloning.
She asked Smith about whether he was withdrawing money and he replied: “How could you think that, sweetheart?”
Meanwhile, he lied to her family that Liz had asked him to take out the cash. After the pair wed in Arran, Smith planned to move up from Telford in Shropshire so they could live together.
But a staged break- in unveiled his twisted nature – and all his lies unravelled including how he was set to make £ 2.4m from the factory sale.
He pretended to frantic Liz that burglars had nicked the cash.
After messing up her home, dadofthree Smith told her criminals had pilfered thousands from a safe. She said: “We were travelling home from Coylton and he shouted that the storm doors were open and there was a break- in.
“He told me to stay outside in the car. I was worried sick he would get hurt. It took forever. Sure enough, when he fetched me I saw the money was gone.”
But Liz’s family suspected him and found the missing notes in his car.
Describing the realisation with tears in her eyes, she said: “The CID told me it was him and I collapsed. The pain could not have been worse if he had died.
“He was led away in handcuffs and that was the last time I saw my husband.
“I found out he was a toolmaker and never owned part of the factory in Wolverhampton. But I wouldn’t have cared. I never wanted his money.
“I had my own but he was taking all I had earned.
“He was never in the SAS or raided the Iranian embassy in 1980. His first wife is still alive and a claim he had a brother was also untrue. He is an only child.”
They divorced after six months of marriage – three years after meeting while shopping in Ayr. Liz said: “When we exchanged vows in the registry office in Arran, he was stuttering and stammering because he was living a lie.”
After leaving him, he sent a pathetic photo – showing him with a tube up his nose and claiming to have cancer. Elizabeth said: “My heart was broken into pieces. But within four weeks my health returned. Liz was back.” When she began to suspect Smith had poisoned her, she tricked him into making a confession on the phone, which was recorded. She started to piece together his actions and realised he chose certain key events not to drug her. She felt well for her 60th birthday party and during a trip to Mexico. Liz said: “He was clever and manipulative. But he got caught.” Evil Smith claimed he lied because he never dreamt he could land an attractive, smart woman like Liz. It is believed he drugged her so he wouldn’t have to take her out which would reveal his penniless state. Liz is now trying to rebuild her life to the way it was before meeting Smith. The entrepreneur spent years building up a successful nail salon in Cathcart Street – one of the first in Ayrshire. She said: “I have worked hard my whole life and brought up my son alone. I have always been a giver and can’t believe someone would do this. “I was always the life and soul of the party but I was a vulnerable wee woman with him. “I am lucky to be here and have my family. I have lived to tell the tale.”