In a shocking incident, a family from Perth, Australia, was served insect killer as juice at a restaurant. The couple Marcus and Michele Lemin had ordered cranberry juice for their daughters at Miky’s Italian Restaurant on June 28, as per a report in the New York Post. The incident is now being investigated by health authorities.

However, Hannah and Olivia, aged 11 and 12, were horrified and spat the drink. Michele Lemin said, “My daughters just went to gulp it down and they both spat the cranberry juice out and said ‘It’s poisoned’. I said don’t be silly, and took the glass, and I went to gulp it down and then spat it out.”

Now, the worried parents claim they were given a pink mixture of lamp oil and citronella torch. Marcus Lemin smelled the liquid and requested to see the bottle it came from. He said the employees first declined, stating it was only “old cranberry juice.”

However, he ultimately got the bottle from the refrigerator. The man said he was given an insecticide with citronella from the beverages refrigerator. The bottle was labelled “plus Bifenthrin” and included a warning, according to the report. “The manager didn’t want to give my husband the bottle, and another waiter stood up and told everyone that everything was okay,” Michelle said.

The family was rushed to the hospital where they suffered several symptoms and were kept under observation for six hours. The mother continued, “My daughters’ … stomachs were burning, their fingers and hands were tingling. They had a headache … it was awful.”

Twelve-year-old Hannah told 9News that it was “really disgusting, and how you would expect insect repellant to taste”. Olivia added, “It felt like somebody had poured fire on your stomach and it felt like you had pins and needles in your arms and legs.”

A complaint has been registered with the Health Department and the local council. The restaurant stated that it was investigating the incident. A staff member told 9News the situation was “very concerning”. “All about this is under investigation, and when I know exactly (what happened), I will let you know,” he said.

An Australian woman who owns a gym faked her own death to claim a nearly $500,000 insurance payout as part of an elaborate scheme where she posed as her partner. According to the New York Post, the woman, identified as 42-year-old Karen Salkilld, was arrested in March after filing the insurance claim in her partner’s name, falsely saying she had died in a car accident. The claim included a series of fabricated documents, including a death certificate, a Coroner’s Court of Western Australia delegate letter and an investigation record into a death. 

The Post reported that the insurance company transferred $477,520 into a bank account that the 42-year-old had set up in her partner’s name. In the following days, the fitness instructor made several payments from the account. However, the scheme began to unravel when Ms Salkilld’s bank flagged and subsequently froze the suspicious account. 

Then, in a desperate bid to access the funds, Ms Salkilld visited Palmyra Police Station with several forms of ID that had been certified by an officer. However, as these copies were altered before being submitted to the bank, they didn’t pass the verification process. 

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Approached by Nine News in a car park in Perth, she was asked: “Why did you fake your own death?” Startled, she then replied: “What the hell? Who are you guys? I’m not talking to you guys.”

The reporter went on: “How did you think you could get away with it? You’re charged with serious fraud offences.” Ms Salkilld then responded, “Is this a joke?”.

Ms Salkilld was arrested in March and pleaded guilty to the two offences in her first appearance in front of a magistrate. She faces up to seven years in jail for offences of gains benefit by fraud and intent to defraud knowingly using any record which is false. She is due to be sentenced in Perth District Court next month.