A 53-year-old pharmacy worker from Felbridge, Surrey, was found guilty of two counts of administering a poison to cause grievous bodily harm and two counts of fraud, Surrey Police reported last week (December 22).
The police force said that Lily Cartier’s 71-year-old partner John Sharrard “began to feel unwell” in February 2017.
It added that after being referred for medical tests, doctors “suspected he had Parkinson’s disease due to difficulties he was having with muscle spasms and his mental faculties slowing”.
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The force revealed that Mr Sharrard’s brother reported that he had concerns that Ms Cartier “may have been poisoning him and reported this to Surrey Police”.
Police detected anticoagulant drug warfarin in Mr Sharrard’s blood and antipsychotic drug haloperidol in a head hair sample.
Mr Sharrard “confirmed he had not knowingly taken either of these drugs” and “began to suspect his partner had put them in his food or drink”, the force added.
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Surrey police said that Mr Sharrard’s brother shared concerns that Cartier, "as a pharmacy worker, had access to drugs through her work”.
It said that in November 2017 Ms Cartier was arrested with haloperidol “found in her handbag” and warfarin later found “in her bedside cabinet”.
“Whilst Cartier was in custody, John made a full recovery”, the force added.
“Jewellery, clothes and cash withdrawals”
Surrey Police said that while Mr Sharrard was in hospital “several transactions were made on his bank cards without his permission”. It revealed that these included "jewellery, clothes and cash withdrawals totalling more than £6,000”.
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Police said it charged Ms Cartier on August 11, 2020 and that she plead “not guilty to all offences”.
Ms Cartier was found guilty of administering a poison and fraud after a trial on October 23, 2023, it added.
Victim “was put through unimaginable suffering”
Since Ms Cartier’s arrest Mr Sharrard has passed away due to an unrelated medical issue.
The force reported that in an impact statement read to the court last month, Mr Sharrard’s family called Ms Cartier an “appalling callous woman” who “put so little value” on her partner’s life.
“From an outgoing person, [Mr Sharrad] became quiet and lost spontaneity” and “developed a shuffling gait and an expressionless face”, the family said.
They describe Mr Sharrard’s speech becoming “slower and monotonous” before he “eventually…become incoherent”, adding that Mr Sharrard “was put through unimaginable suffering by Lily Cartier because of her greed”.
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“It is hard to believe that a human being could treat another in this cruel way”, they added.
Detective constable (DC) Kieran Gamble stressed that Ms Cartier was “planned and meticulous” as she “deliberately poisoned someone who trusted her over a prolonged period of time”.
DC Gamble said that Ms Cartier “showed no remorse” for Mr Sharrard as “he lay in hospital”, instead deciding “to go on a shopping trip fraudulently using his bank cards”.
“Now she is behind bars I hope John’s family can take some comfort that justice has been done on his behalf”, DC Gamble added.
