Shocking decline of Russian in poison soup case
A RUssiAN whistleblower went on a ‘strict’ diet shortly before he was allegedly poisoned, an inquest heard.
Alexander Perepilichny, 44, collapsed and died while running near his £3million st George’s Hill estate in Weybridge, surrey, in November 2012, according to his widow.
Tatiana Perepilichnaya said his appearance had changed after he began skipping meals. she claimed he started to look ‘old’ before his death ‘because he never used to have so many wrinkles’, adding: ‘i thought he was very unhealthy.’
The inquest heard the father of two could have been murdered with a poison vegetable in his soup. Tests found traces of a suspect compound matching the atomic weight of rare and deadly vegetable poison, gelsemium, in his stomach lining.
The poison could have been switched with sorrel, an ingredient in a Russian soup, the inquest at the old bailey heard yesterday.
lawyers suggested the businessman may have been targeted after helping an investigation into an alleged tax fraud in 2007. Questions have also been raised over whether he lost money for investors or fell out with Russian gangsters.
Mrs Perepilichnaya told the hearing she knew nothing of her husband being concerned about ‘corruption or problems with organised crime in Russia’. she denied he had fallen out with an ‘organised crime syndicate’ in Russia.
The court heard the whistleblower took out life insurance worth £3.5million with Aviva lV and l&G between May and July 2012. Mrs Perepilichnaya said this was because he was planning to buy a house with a mortgage of up to £6million.
The widow told the court that she cooked and tasted the soup before her husband ate it, and she and her daughter finished the dish after Mr Perepilichny had his portion. she said she bought a glass jar of sorrel from a supermarket and it had not been opened prior to that day.
Peter skelton QC, for the coroner, asked: ‘Did Alexander eat anything else before he went for his run?’ she said: ‘i didn’t see him chewing anything but i did see him standing by the cupboard … despite his strict diet, i know he likes chocolate.’
When asked whether she thought her husband had been murdered, Mrs Perepilichnaya replied: ‘No.’ The inquest continues.