A Spanish hotel worker is facing jail after reportedly pouring bleach over a buffet dinner out of revenge for losing her job.
Police and prosecutors have said the 50-year-old woman was told her contract was not going to be renewed at the Costa del Sol hotel before she carried out the cruel act.
Luckily, two guests caught her suspiciously pouring a yellowish liquid over a tray of fruit and yoghurt in a glass dessert display case which had been prepared as part of an evening buffet meal and alerted hotel staff.
But none the wiser, the unnamed and disgruntled hotel worker subsequently returned to the kitchen pushing a cleaning trolley used to remove dirty plates.
The hotel receptionist and head of security alerted police after demanding an explanation from the waitress who denied any wrongdoing as soon as she was confronted.
They are said to have handed over two bottles of dishwasher detergent containing bleach when detectives arrived.
Tests on the affected food, separated from the rest and handed over to police in a Tupperware container, were later found to have been tainted with the chemical according to Malaga newspaper Sur.
The horror incident emerged today as the respected media outlet said the hotel worker had been charged with a crime against public health.
She has been ordered to stand trial after being warned she could be handed a three-year prison sentence if convicted.
The former hotel worker denies any wrongdoing and is expected to register a ‘not guilty’ plea when she takes the stand at a court in Malaga.
The alleged poisoning attempt occurred just before 9pm on May 31, 2023, but only came to light today following confirmation public prosecutors are seeking a jail sentence for the woman accused.
She has been charged under article 365 of the Spanish Penal Code which covers the deliberate poisoning of the public water supply and food and carries a prison sentence of between two and six years.
Public prosecutors are accusing her of acting out of revenge after being told earlier the same day her work contract was not going to be renewed.
A pre-trial indictment also references another incident five days earlier on May 26 2023, where public prosecutors say the hotel worker poured bleach into a bottle of milk in the establishment’s bar which was used by colleagues but not by guests.
The name of the hotel is expected to be revealed at trial when the woman will be identified.
It was not immediately clear this morning when the trial would take place.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
