The poisoner lecturing on ethics

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A scientist who tried to poison his wife and cover his tracks by spiking products in a local supermarket is lecturing students on ethics, it emerged today.

Paul Agutter - also known as the Safeway poisoner - has been employed on a part-time basis by the University of Manchester.

The 57-year-old, from Athelstaneford, East Lothian, was released from jail in 2002, after serving seven years of a 12-year sentence for attempted murder.

He spiked his wife's gin and tonic drinks with doses of atropine and tried to cover his tracks by placing bottles of tonic injected with the poison on supermarket shelves.

Agutter had plotted to murder his wife and marry his lover, Carole Bonsall, a mature student at Edinburgh's Napier University.

A spokesman for the University of Manchester confirmed Agutter was employed on a part-time basis.

"He was contracted to teach philosophy and medical ethics two hours a week at night classes a couple of months ago.

"All we can say in relation to his appointment is that he applied for the job, we took up his references and he was appointed to the post after due process."

Agutter's lover dumped him when he was charged and his wife, Alexandra, an English lecturer, divorced him after he was jailed at the High Court in Edinburgh in 1995.

He left Scotland after his release from HMP Glenochil and moved to Derbyshire, where his parents live and where social work bosses were trying to find him work.

The former biochemistry lecturer's activities sparked a nationwide alert and left eight people ill, including his wife.

Agutter was arrested after CCTV footage showed him placing the poisoned tonic on the shelf of an Edinburgh branch of Safeway.

 

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