Ontario woman accused of poisoning 8 kids and 1 adult pleads guilty to 4 counts

KITCHENER, Ont. – An Ontario woman who had been accused of poisoning eight children and an adult with eyedrops has pleaded guilty in four of the cases.

Brendan Crawley of the attorney general’s ministry says Christine Allen, 32, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Kitchener, Ont., to four counts of administering a noxious substance with intent to cause bodily harm.

The judge accepted the resolution jointly proposed by the Crown and defence, and Allen was sentenced to six years in prison less time in pretrial custody, leaving four years and 11 months to be served.

The victims were all residents of Kitchener or Guelph, Ont.

Allen ran a home daycare in Kitchener from 2009 to 2011. Police had said some of the victims were under her care, while some were not.

Police have said the daycare did not have a name and it’s not known how many children Allen cared for during the three years it operated.

They had said the victims were given an over-the-counter eye care product containing Tetrahydrozoline that if ingested can cause abnormal drowsiness, low blood pressure, respiratory problems and decreased heart rates, especially in young children.