WXYZ-TV DetroitA Michigan woman caught her husband poisoning her after setting up hidden cameras in their home after she’d been feeling ill for weeks.
Yesterday morning (August 1), Brian Kozlowski was sentenced to just 60 days in jail after pleading guilty to a felony charge of poisoning under a plea deal – and all of those days will be served on weekends.
The court heard how Kozlowski, 46, had been putting eight sleeping pills into his wife’s coffee ‘every single day’ for weeks, when an adult dosage according to the packaging is one.
As reported by WXYZ-TV Detroit, the victim reported feeling tired and nauseous shortly after drinking coffee on the days her husband prepared it for her in July 2018. She was also experiencing blurred vision.
As a result of her symptoms and suspicions against her husband, she decided to have cameras installed in the kitchen; just two months prior to her feeling ill, the woman had filed for divorce from Kozlowski.
The footage revealed Kozlowski had been pouring Diphenhydramine – an antihistamine mainly used to treat allergies, but also used for insomnia – into his then-wife’s morning coffee on numerous occasions.
At the man’s sentencing yesterday, his ex-wife told the court:
I was being hunted by a dangerous predator, but in this nightmare the predator was Brian.
WXYZ-TV DetroitUpon discovering the footage, the woman called her divorce attorney and immediately moved out of the couple’s home in Macomb Township.
Prosecutors in Macomb County said Kozlowski was intentionally poisoning her and were outraged at the 60 day sentence. Under the plea deal, Kozlowski avoided a trial where he faced up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith said in a statement released to DailyMail.com the 60 day sentence was ‘a slap in the face of the victim and the justice system in general’.
WXYZ-TV DetroitThe prosecutor said the sentence was substantially below the guidelines for the offence whereby a guilty defendant should spend a minimum of 19 to 38 months in prison.
Smith said in the statement:
The Court seemed more focused on ensuring the defendant’s freedom and ability to continue to work than the victim and her safety.
It is troubling to think that someone who commits such a reckless crime, putting his wife and so many other people at risk, is able to walk away with such a light sentence.
Kozlowski’s ex-wife delivered an emotional impact statement in court, detailing how she almost fell asleep behind the wheel one morning after drinking the poisoned coffee.
The last contaminated coffee that Kozlowski had brewed for the victim was analysed and was found to contain 127 milliliters of Diphenhydramine.
Lucy ConnollyKozlowski apologised in court, with his defence lawyer Brian Legghio saying he feels ‘great profound remorse’ and was going through an ‘ugly divorce’ at the time.
The prosecutor said his office was already working to appeal the sentence.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).