Wife accused of poisoning her husband and leaving him wheelchair-bound by putting arsenic in his food because he shamed the family by having an affair is cleared after he claimed he did it to himself

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Mussarat Khan, 55, (pictured) who was accused of poisoning her husband Tariq, of Manor Park London, following his affair, was cleared after the man said he took the poison himself

A wife suspected of poisoning her cheating husband in an attempted ‘honour killing’ walked free from court with her smiling wheelchair-bound partner after he claimed he did it himself.

Mussarat Khan, 55, was accused of slipping arsenic into the food or drink of 50 year-old Tariq Khan for shaming the family by having an affair.

Mr Khan spent several weeks in a medically induced coma after being rushed to hospital with multiple organ failure and is now left with limited use of arms and legs.

Police charged the wife with attempted murder after a bottle of poison was found in the kitchen cupboard of the family home in Manor Park, east London.

But after Mr Khan recovered enough to return home a year later he told police that he had poisoned himself.

Judge Paul Dodgson threw out the case after ruling that there was not enough evidence to prove Mrs Khan was responsible - even though she had both the motive and opportunity.

The judge pointed out that the couple’s son and daughter - who were also arrested by police during the investigation - could also have poisoned their father.

Judge Dodgson said: ‘The Crown suggest she had a motive for poisoning her husband. That is undoubtedly correct but all close members of the family would have had that possible motive due to his infidelity over a number of years.

‘Therefore any of his close family members might thus consider poisoning him to deal with the shame and also he himself might be driven by the shame of the situation to commit suicide.

The judge concluded that while it remained suspicious there was insufficient evidence to blame his wife solely.

Mr Khan (pictured) spent several weeks in a medically induced coma after being rushed to hospital with multiple organ failure and is now left with limited use of arms and legs.

Tariq and Mussarat Khan lived together at their home in Keller Crescent, Manor Park, for 20 years.

The family became aware of Tariq’s affair with Naila Ali two years before and at one stage he moved out of the house.

Miss Ali later told police that his family had confronted her and verbally abused her about the affair.

Tariq moved back in after reconciling with his wife but shortly before falling ill his family discovered he was again seeing Miss Ali.

Mr Khan received his first dose of arsenic in April 2016.

On April 20 he was taken to hospital only to be discharged home at 12pm the following day.

The prosecution claimed Mrs Khan gave her husband a further dose of arsenic on April 23.

 Tariq and Mussarat Khan had lived together at their home in Keller Crescent, Manor Park, for 20 years (pictured)

He was rushed to hospital at 6pm with multi-organ shutdown and was placed in a medically induced coma for several weeks, the court heard.

Mr Khan’s lover told police that he confided in her that after eating or drinking something given to him by his wife he felt his throat burning.

A plastic bottle containing high levels of arsenic and mercury was then discovered in their kitchen cupboard.

Mrs Khan was suspected of obtaining the poison during a trip to Pakistan - where it is readily available.

But her lawyers pointed out her visits to Pakistan were not unusual and claimed the last trip was to see a sick relative.

Mrs Khan was charged with attempted murder on March 3 2017.

But days after she was remanded in custody her husband told police he had poisoned himself because he was finding it hard to cope after having an extra-marital fling.

The family became aware of Tariq’s affair with Naila Khan a couple of years before the poisoning and at one stage he moved out of the house

Prosecutor James Lofthouse said: ‘He [Mr Khan] said, because of difficulties in the extra-marital relationship he was having, he was finding it hard to cope and he went to someone who sells DVDs in east London and, using £300, bought various substances and poisons from him.

‘He effectively said he intended to end it all.’

Mrs Khan was granted bail in April and was reunited with her husband, who also attended today’s application to dismiss the charge.

Giving his ruling, Judge Dodgson said: ‘The question for me is whether there is evidence a jury could be sure of this defendant’s guilt.

‘In my judgement a jury would be entitled to conclude that the contents of the small plastic bottle discovered in the kitchen of the matrimonial home were indeed used to poison Tariq Khan.

‘She may have been and probably was the main user of that kitchen. However the prosecution accept there were three other adults living at the premises in addition to Tariq Khan.

Naila later told police that they had confronted her and verbally abused her about the affair

The judge said the evidence did not demonstrate that she had the opportunity.

He also said it was ‘pure speculation’ that she got the arsenic during her trips to Pakistan.

Mr Khan told police that he bought the poisons for £300 from someone selling DVDs in east London and ‘intended to end it all’.

Rupert Pardoe, defending, said that several of the family members had arsenic or mercury in their hair after the poisoning.

He said: ‘The wider family would all have a sense of dishonour. It would be absolutely guesswork for a jury to convict my client.

Mrs Khan was granted bail in April and was reunited with her husband, who also attended today’s application to dismiss the charge

‘They were all arrested and interviewed and they were all on bail for eight months.’

At a previous hearing Mr Pardoe outlined an incident in which someone dressed as a medical orderly to get access to Mr Khan while he was being treated in hospital.

Mr Khan’s lover also recalled a brick being thrown at Mr Khan’s car with a note on it saying ‘I’m going to kill you’ or ‘I wish you dead’.

In police interview Mrs Khan denied poisoning her husband but admitted her son had put a recording device in Mr Khan’s car.

Mrs Khan, of Keller Crescent Manor Park, had not yet entered a plea to the single count of attempted murder and the charge was dismissed by the judge due to lack of evidence.

Mr Khan, who waited outside court while the judge’s ruling was given, was reunited with his wife outside the courtroom and the pair left the Old Bailey together.