Press x2: Fraudster imprisoned for frog poison murder plan
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Posted by W von Papineäu on December 18, 2002 at 13:16:02:
THE INDEPENDENT (London, UK) 18 December 02 Fraudster imprisoned for frog poison murder plan (Melvyn Howe, PA)
A fraudster who hatched a prison plot to use the world's most poisonous frog to kill a co-defendant received a second jail sentence of two-and-a-half years yesterday.
Hans-Constantin Paulssen, 62, from Frankfurt – in custody in London's Pentonville Prison on charges of conspiring to defraud investors of £6m – feared that Jennifer Newmarch's defence arguing that he was the mastermind would raise his chances of being convicted.
He told a fellow inmate that he wanted her dead. The man agreed to help, but informed the police instead, London's Southwark Crown Court heard.
David Aaronberg, prosecuting, said an officer posing as an underworld contact visited Paulssen, whoasked him "if he had heard about an Amazonian frog which produces a poison that can be used to induce a heart attack without leaving any trace".
Though this sounded "like a murder plot from some B movie of the 1940s", such frogs do exist, Mr Aaronberg said.
Paulssen admitted one count of soliciting to murder between March and June last year. Before the case could be dealt with, he was convicted of the fraud at Snaresbrook Crown Court and jailed for five years. The two sentences will run consecutively.
http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=362573
DAILY RECORD (UK) 18 December 02 Poison Frog Plot To Kill Woman
A fraudster was jailed yesterday over a bizarre plot to kill a fellow cheat with a poisonous frog.
Businessman Hans Paulssen's £25,000 plan sounded like a "murder plot from a B- movie".
Paulssen, 62, was convinced Jenny Newmarch would blame him for a £6million investment scam.
On remand in London's Pentonville prison, Paulssen tried to get another inmate to arrange her killing.
But the assassin he unveiled the plot to was an undercover cop -codename David - London's Southwark Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor David Aaronberg said: "Paulssen asked David if he had heard about an Amazonian frog which produces a poison which can induce a heart attack without leaving any trace.
"Professor David Warrell at Oxford University confirms that such frogs exist and it would be impossible to detect the tiny amounts of poison required to kill a human."
Paulssen of Frankfurt, Germany, worked with Newmarch to trick German investors.
He was jailed for two-and-a-half years on top of the five he is serving for the fraud.
* Using a poison frog for murder was the basis of a Taggart episode called Nest of Vipers, broadcast in 1992.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/page.cfm?objectid=12462816&method=full&siteid=89488
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