WARNING: this article contains discussions of abortion and violence against women
MARRIAGE often has its ups and downs, so when Catherine Herring’s husband offered to make her breakfast in bed she was delighted.
It was far from a romantic gesture though, with the Texas woman soon discovering that her meal had been laced with poison by the man she trusted most.
After a decade of marriage and two kids together, Catherine though she knew her husband Mason better than anyone.
Her world would come crashing down though in 2022, after US woman discovered intimate text between her other half and his female colleague.
With the affair weighting over them, Mason decided to move out of the family home to focus on himself – leaving behind his two young children and wife.
Though this should have been the end of their relationship, things took a twisted turn after Catherine announced she was pregnant.
Despite being initially devastated by the news, her husband had an abrupt change of heart and begged to spend time with his family.
Hoping that this would rekindle in their relationship, the then-mum-of-two agreed to the idea and allowed the lawyer to stay with her.
It seems that the pair were finally beginning to rebuild their marriage, until the Mason offered to make her breakfast in bed before leaving for work.
Rather than a lavish meal, Catherine was greeted with a biscuit and glass of water – which her former hubby urged her to eat.
“He starts urging me, like, ‘Chug it, I need to go’, and he kind of had anger in his voice,” she recalled, with her then-spouse becoming more and more irate.
As she inspected the glass, she noticed that the water was cloudy and immediately knew that she’d been poisoned.
Moments after her husband left, she started experiencing serve stomach cramps and began to bleed from her vagina.
Fearing the worst, the then pregnant woman was later rushed to hospital where her symptoms continued for several days.
Understandably, Catherine hoped that she was wrong and struggled to believe that a man she once loved was capable of the unthinkable.
“I just wanted desperately to be wrong. I wanted there to be another explanation, because this is your husband who you love and adore and have children with,” she confessed.
Instinctively, she knew she was right and even set about collecting evidence against her former spouse – according to court documents.
As the weeks continued, she collected sample of the drinks her husband made for her but continued to doubt what had happened.
When Mason finally asked for a formal separation, Catherine knew she needed to know the truth and passed the liquids she collected to a private investigator.
“I do not believe that 180 days is justice for attempting to kill your child seven separate times.
Catherine Herring
Tests later concluded that the drinks had been laced with misoprostol, a chemical which is regularly used to induce an abortion.
After discovering opened packets of Cyrux in the bin, a medicine used prevent stomach ulcers with this ingredient, she decided to lay on final trap for her husband.
Having hidden cameras in their home, the US woman watched in horror as her husband laced her cranberry juice with the powder – which he later handed to her.
Turning her evidence over to the police, it took less than a month for Mason to be arrested and charged with assault to induce abortion.
He would later accept a guilty plea deal to one count of injury to a child under 15, before being sentenced to 180 days in prison as well.
Her former husband was also banned from being in contact with their youngest daughter, who was born a few months after his arrest.
In addition to being premature, the little one has developmental delays and relies on a feeding tube.
Understandably, Catherine says the sentence was not harsh enough for the damage her former husband inflicted on their family.
She told the court: “I do not believe that 180 days is justice for attempting to kill your child seven separate times.
“For two years, my husband has overtly denied this assault, and I’m grateful today that he has finally admitted to his guilt.”
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
