Poisoner’s 25 life terms
NURSE Victorino Chua was jailed for at least 35 years yesterday for murdering two patients and poisoning 20 more.
The 49- year- old was given 25 life sentences and cannot apply for parole until he is 84. He showed no emotion as the life sentence was passed.
Chua murdered Derek Weaver, 83, and Tracey Arden, 44, at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport near Manchester in 2011.
He randomly poisoned bags of saline solution with insulin and colleagues then unwittingly used the saline in patients’ drips. Twenty other patients were poisoned but survived.
No one knows why Chua did it. Police say he is a narcissistic psychopath.
Father of two Chua, o r i g i n a l ly from the Philippines, set out to target a few patients he disliked but most victims were poisoned by chance. Judge Mr Justice Openshaw said that was a “strikingly sinister” feature of the case.
He called Chua’s actions “indescribably wicked”.
Derek’s sister Lynda said her family were delighted with the sentence. She said of Chua: “I think he’s so evil. He obviously enjoyed seeing people suffer.”
Tracey’s brother Gary said: “The important thing is he’s not able to do this to anyone else.”
Manchester Crown Court heard statements from victims on how Chua had scarred their lives.
He was convicted of two murders, 22 counts of attempted grievous bodily harm, one of grievous bodily harm, seven attempts to give poison and one count of giving poison. He has never shown any remorse.