Afternoon:
9°c
'Lying predator' jailed for trying to poison pregnant lover's baby
Paul Cheston, Courts Correspondent16 Nov 2009
A hospital consultant who poisoned his lover's drinks in a failed attempt to make her miscarry was today branded a “liar, cheat and predator” as he was jailed for six years.
The Old Bailey heard that Edward Erin, 44, a married father of two, led a double life. He was a leading doctor at St Mary's
Hospital in Paddington while having affairs by dazzling women with his wealth, style and professional brilliance.
He was convicted last month after spiking Bella Prowse's cup of coffee and bottle of orange juice with powerful drugs. Ms Prowse, 33, his secretary who had become pregnant after a brief affair, became suspicious and told police.
Erin's wife, microbiologist Dr Lowri Erin, of Kensington, was not in court but Ms Prowse looked on as Judge Richard Hone told him he had betrayed her, his wife, family and his whole profession.
“One part of you is a doctor caring for his patients but the other is self-centred, vainglorious and irresponsible,” he said. “Your property wealth, tailored wardrobe, high lifestyle, illicit weekends and expensive trinkets dazzled those who you designed to seduce.
“You are clever, but also devious and dishonest. You inhabit a fantasy world. Your egocentric life pattern, delusions of grandeur and pathological need to impress others have produced many victims, not just Bella Prowse — you have deeply hurt them all. What you did to Bella Prowse is about as serious a breach of trust for a senior doctor as can be imagined and your culpability must also be assessed as extremely high.”
The jury found him guilty of two charges of attempting to administer poison to procure an abortion.
Passing concurrent six-year sentences, the judge added: “The sentences I pass reflect the very serious nature of the offences, your considerable degree of premeditation, your abuse of a position of trust and the destruction which you intended to the foetus.”
Mrs Erin has vowed to stand by her husband and the judge highlighted how she had suffered an emotional collapse when told of Erin's arrest. “That was not a complaisant wife. If she continues to support you, you may think she deserves better than a husband who goes out on the prowl,” he said.
Erin was consultant respiratory physician at St Mary's and a clinical research fellow at the Royal Brompton hospital, Chelsea. He was said to have thrown away 20 years of achievement in his joint fields.
The judge told him: “The trial has exposed you — stripped of your flummery — as a liar, a cheat and a predator. It is no surprise that in addition to your chaotic emotional life, your clinical research is under scrutiny as lacking depth and validity.”
In a victim impact statement read to the court, Ms Prowse spoke of the devastation Erin had caused her, which led her to the brink of a nervous breakdown during her pregnancy.
Her son, named Ernie, was born perfectly healthy in September last year but she dreaded “one day having to explain to him why he does not see his father”. She also has a 12-year-old daughter. Ms Prowse spoke of her shock at discovering Erin was married after their seven-week affair was over. “It illustrated how accomplished a liar he was,” she said. Erin has been attacked while awaiting sentence in Belmarsh prison, the court heard.
He is one of three men sharing a cell made for two and is locked up 23 hours a day as a “vulnerable prisoner”.
During the trial the court heard that after affairs with two other women Erin had started a fling with Ms Prowse after a Christmas party. He had assumed she was on the Pill but she soon became pregnant and became desperate for her to have an abortion. Erin disputes he is the father and is awaiting the results of a DNA test.
Reader views (12)
These people are both adults, did it not occur to them to use contraception?
- Gavin, London, England, 17/11/2009 13:55
Report abuse
Just one look at his face tells you what an nasty, obnoxious, arrogant piece of work Erin is.
- Nowan, London, 17/11/2009 11:49
Report abuse
If Prowse were to be solely financially responsible for the child then I would have no sympathy for Erin, but I have no doubt that she would have used the child as a financial lever to improve her own lot at his expense. To me he's no better or worse than a woman who chooses to have an abortion for financial reasons.
The sentence is very harsh, considering that some people who commit grievous bodily harm are routinely given suspended sentences or not even charged. He's been made an example of.
- Julio, Provincialton, Parochialshire, 16/11/2009 22:56
Report abuse
What a callous horrible pig of a man!
- Tom, London, England, 16/11/2009 18:01
Report abuse
Reading some of the comments on this case you begin to wonder what type of adults walk the earth today. This isn't about whether the man has a right to choose an abortion or a woman. This is about simple irresponsible behaviour of two lustful people, the I want it all but without the consequences. Both of these adults are a disgrace for the way they have battled this out in public with no consideration to how it will affect their child/ his wife and children. Him wanting the child dead and she wanting to destroy him. Gives you an insite into the type of people they are. Who would imagine that this all came from an act of love!! Sad, since the little boy will one day grown up and be able to judge it all from a different stand poing. Pitty the child.
- Layla, London, UK, 16/11/2009 16:42
Report abuse
She didn't need to get pregnant in the first place. I feel she is just as much a predator as he is. Neither get any sympathy from me.
- Volpone, London, London, 16/11/2009 16:36
Report abuse
It's a fair sentence, in line with other sentences for similar offences. What he did amounts to assault, nothing more than that.
- Neil, London, London UK, 16/11/2009 16:13
Report abuse
Its not a question of 'rights' The question is what is right, and, what is wrong? If a member of the medical profession does not know the difference, we have really got a problem! The man is disgrace, and, I am not surprised that he is being locked up for his own safety, there is a limit to what is acceptable, even in prison. He will benefit however, as he has plenty of time to reflect on his past actions, if he so chooses, on second thoughts,I won't hold my breath!
- Kevin Sullivan, Roehampton, London, 16/11/2009 16:08
Report abuse
I feel sorry for the two chaps he shares a cell with having to listen to his bulldust 23 hours a day.
- Gwilym Rhys-Jones, marbella spain, 16/11/2009 14:24
Report abuse
some very harsh words and sentencing from the judge!
- Ancient Wisdom, London, England, 16/11/2009 13:56
Report abuse
Now let me say i do not condone what this guy did in anyway shape or form but neither do I condone a woman taking through a pregnancy with a man she is not in a commited relationship with (I mean living together).
why is it that a woman assumes she has the right to play god and insist that a child does not need a father
this child now gets to find out his dad wanted him dead
a child has a right to 2 loving parents
the more single parents familes we have seem to have created a boom of fatherless children who are bitter and disolussioned with the world they live in and look at how they behave ultimate distruction in their path
this man was so desperate to not have a child he went so far as to try to kill it and put his life and career in jeaopardy
this is what we face now
men are incresingly resistant to commiting to relationships because women just get pregnant and dont involve the father in the decision
no unprotected encouter that results in a pregnancy is an accident if you have not used protection you planned on getting pregnant
this is a warning to all men ever sleep with a woman without wearing a condom unless you want to be attached through a child to that person for the rest of your life most likely fighting and child in the middle
- Anon, London, 16/11/2009 13:29
Report abuse
What this man did was wrong, clearly.
But ask yourselves this question;
What if a MAN wants the baby, but the woman didn`t, and she went on to have their (potential) child aborted?
Do her rights over the unborn child override his simply because nature has enabled her to be the carrier?
Does she warrant these extra rights because she will herself nurture the child?
Would she posess the right to terminate because she alone would pay for the childs upkeep?
Does she negate that right if the father pays for the upkeep?
If this is so, then the man would have no rights, and therefore may well doubt his responsibilities.
How often does this scenario happen without getting into the headlines, I wonder?
- Darius, London UK, 16/11/2009 13:12
Report abuse
