Elderly Mom Sentenced in Antifreeze Poisoning

An elderly northeastern Pennsylvania woman convicted of poisoning her son's girlfriend with antifreeze was sentenced Thursday to 5 1/2 to 12 years in prison.
 
A Luzerne County jury convicted Helen Galli, 82, of aggravated assault and other offenses after finding she gave the woman fruit juice laced with antifreeze.
 
The victim, Dawn Simyan, spent several weeks recovering in the hospital.
 
"I beg this court to lock Mrs. Galli up and throw away the key," Simyan told Luzerne County Judge Fred Pierantoni.
 
Pierantoni sentenced Galli to state prison, saying she showed "disrespect for human life."
 
Prosecutors said Galli didn't want the younger woman coming between her and her son, who had signed a $1 million natural gas lease a month before the poisoning.
 
The defense accused Simyan of poisoning herself for attention because she was jealous of the relationship between the mother and son.
 
Galli was also sentenced to probation on a retail theft charge. She pleaded guilty to trying to steal a $23 package of meat from a grocery store.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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