Married civil servant accused of lacing lover’s drink with anti-abortion drug

Laura Slade says she found powdery residue at the bottom of the glass after he insisted she drink from it

A woman who became pregnant during an affair with a married senior civil servant told a court he looked very flustered" before preparing a drink for her allegedly spiked with an abortion drug.

Darren Burke, 43, a deputy director for the emergency services mobile communications programme at the Home Office, is accused of trying to cause Laura Slade's miscarriage.