A doctor has admitted attempting to murder his mother’s partner with poison in a dispute over a will.
Thomas Kwan, 53, had previously denied the offence against Patrick O’Hara, who was given a toxin which caused a “rare and life-threatening flesh-eating disease,” Newcastle Crown Court heard.
Prosecutors said Kwan went to “extraordinary” lengths to disguise himself and prepare the attack at the victim’s Newcastle home on 22 January.
Kwan, who lived in Ingleby Barwick, Teesside, and worked in Sunderland, is due to be sentenced at a later date with Judge Mrs Justice Lambert saying he can expect a “substantial” prison term.
Kwan had admitted administering a noxious substance to Mr O’Hara, 71, but initially claimed he only wanted to cause “pain and discomfort”, the trial had heard.
But after prosecutors opened the case on 3 October, Kwan changed his plea to the more serious charge on Monday with jurors asked to formally return a guilty verdict.