Bury man in court over inheritance issue with sister

Robert McCabe, 69, was caught spiking his sibling, Sharon McCabe, on a hidden camera in the kitchen at their shared home.

McCabe, of Deacons Crescent, Tottington, poured laxative into her milk while she suffered with pancreatitis.

Minshull Street Crown Court heard on Tuesday, October 17, that the drugging 'may or may not' have led to her being taken to hospital.

Prosecuting, Daniel Lister said: "Defendant Robert, brother Desmond and the victim lived on Broad Oak Lane in Bury, the family home since they were children.

"Sharon left the property in the early 1980s and returned in 2005. The victim's mother was still living there at the time, her brothers were living at the address also.

"After the death of their mother, all three remained in the property. A further sibling, Denis, who lived in Australia, bought the family home and the mortgage was taken out in the name of Robert McCabe."

When Denis died, in his will he left the home to Gary Hardman, Sharon's son.

Mr Lister added: "It seems it was that will that led to distance between the two siblings."

In December 2018, Ms McCabe was admitted to hospital with pancreatitis. She was readmitted with 'stomach pains' in April 2020.

When she was better following the stay, she bought a bottle of milk. She later found that the milk 'smelled of chemicals' and mentioned her concerns to her son, Gary.

Robert McCabe was sentenced for poisoning his sister (Image: Public)

On April 21, they set up a camera in the kitchen which "captured the lower half of anyone standing by the fridge".

Mr Lister said: "Footage captured Robert McCabe picking up a piece of white paper and holding it over the milk.

"We now know that was a laxative. Police were contacted as a result and her brothers Robert and Desmond were arrested and interviewed."

McCabe had previously pleaded guilty.

Defending, Rachel Faux said: "He has been out of his house since 2020, it is his childhood home of 58 years. In addition to being out of his home, throughout the delay in this case, which has been pushed back, he has known he is facing a very serious charge.

"Proceedings have taken a toll on him and that delay has been a punishment. As he approaches his 70th birthday at the end of this month, he wants to put matters behind him."

She also said that he felt remorse for his actions.

Ms Faux then suggested that the offence was 'sibling squabbling', to which Judge Maurice Greene said: "Sibling squabbling in his 60s? I would understand if he was 16."

Concluding, Judge Greene said: "You have pleaded guilty to a very old charge that we don't see often, administering a noxious substance, so as to annoy your sister, Sharon McCabe, under the Offences Against the Person Act.

"This incident which took place three-and-half years ago involved sibling rivalry, a sort of sibling rivalry that really a man of your age should not be involved in.

"There are ways, legal ways, to deal with somebody who is unhappy about where an inheritance has gone.

Sharon McCabe and her son Gary Hardman following the hearing (Image: Newsquest)

"I understand why you were unhappy, but what you did was inexcusable, juvenile behaviour. You, over a two week period, put laxative in her milk and it may or may not have been that which hospitalised her."

He sentenced McCabe to 80 hours' unpaid work and 15 days of rehabilitation activity days.

Ms McCabe and her son, Gary Hardman, spoke exclusively afterwards to The Bolton News.

Ms McCabe says that her brothers and sisters now will not speak to her following the death of her brother, Dennis, and the dispute and court proceedings which followed.

She said: "I have not just lost my brother, I have lost everyone."

Mr Hardman said: "It all kicked off before Covid, but then the science lab shut down and didn't open back up for months and it all got delayed.

"He was on bail all that time and my mum was struggling to sleep, because it only takes two seconds to do something.

"You wouldn't do it to your worst enemy, would you?"

She said: "I needed some milk and got a four pint bottle. I had around half of it and then thought I would smell it to see if it was fresh because I got it from a garage, and that is when I smelled chemicals.

"I could also see a yellow substance floating in it. I then told my son."

Mr Hardman added: "We set up a camera in the kitchen by the fridge. I got her a separate fridge and toaster and kettle in her room so she could eat. 

"She carried on buying milk and making porridge in the pan in the kitchen. We had a camera hidden for eight weeks."

Ms McCabe said: "I was letting it cool, putting it into a food bag and throwing it away so they wouldn't notice any different."