daughter, will face sentencing in the Supreme Court.

William George Carlos Astwood, 33, of Highland Road, yesterday pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court to attempting to cause bodily harm to Sandra Ruth and her ten-year-old daughter on January 5.

Astwood also admitted to breaking and entering the home of Ms Ruth in St.

George's that same day and causing damage to property therein.

Police prosecutor Sgt. Anthony Mouchette told the court that despite receiving a "stay away order'' in December and having a record of similar offences, Astwood entered Ms Ruth's home without permission to taint her food.

Sgt. Mouchette added that around 8.30 a.m. Ms Ruth and her daughter left their Fort Lane home to go to work and school, respectively.

When the family-of-two returned later that day, Ms Ruth took a chicken dish out of the refrigerator to prepare for dinner.

Sgt. Mouchette said as they ate, Ms Ruth and her daughter noticed the food had an "obnoxious'' smell and tasted rotten.

Ms Ruth then discovered that her milk, orange juice and shampoo were also tainted with a bubbly liquid.

In addition, she found that the same liquid had been used to ruin a drawer of clothes, a stereo and a Walkman.

Ms Ruth reported the matter to the St. George's Police Station and the next day Astwood was arrested on suspicion of committing the offences.

During yesterday's Plea Court session, Astwood said: "I admit that I was trying to make them sick. It was very malicious. I shouldn't have done that to the ones I love.

"We have been in a relationship for four or five years and I have raised that little girl like my own. What I did was totally unexplainable. I will take any punishment like a man.'' After speaking with Astwood in private, duty counsel Tyrone Chin told the court that the "bubbly liquid'' consisted of Joy dish washing liquid and paint thinner.

Mr. Chin added that Astwood put one to two drops of the liquid in the chicken dish, milk and shampoo, but he did not know how it got into the orange juice.

"This is a case of love gone bad,'' Mr. Chin explained. "He (Astwood) was in that relationship for four years and then he had nothing.

"Although the potential for bodily harm was there, no one actually got hurt.'' Senior Magistrate Will Francis yesterday said he felt his sentencing powers in the case were inadequate and remanded Astwood in custody, pending a Supreme Court sentencing on a date to be set.