MACOMB TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A Macomb Township man was sentenced to 60 weekend days in jail after his wife installed hidden cameras in her kitchen and caught him deliberately poisoning her coffee, according to officials.
Husband poisoning coffee
In July 2018, a woman told officials she was feeling tired and nauseous and experienced blurred vision after drinking coffee on the days her husband, Brian Kozlowski, prepared it for her. She said she almost fell asleep while driving on I-375 one day.
Police said the woman had filed for divorce in May 2018.
The woman became suspicious and installed cameras in the kitchen, officials said. The cameras captured video of Kozlowski pouring diphenhydramine into her coffee on multiple occasions, intentionally poisoning her, according to authorities.
"I felt a horrible coldness in the air, but in this nightmare the predator was Brian," she said in court. "I fell to my knees and cried. I could barely move."
Officials said the woman called her divorce attorney and moved out of the home. The last coffee Kozlowski made her contained 127 milliliters of diphenhydramine, experts said -- comparable to eight sleeping pills.
"Brian was trying to kill me to keep his comfortable life from slipping away" she said in court.
The divorce documents allege Kozlowski had been urinating in his ex-wife's shampoo and conditioner.
Sentencing situation
The case was assigned to Chief Judge Biernat in December. After numerous failed attempts by two defense attorneys to reach a plea deal, the case was transferred to retired and visiting Judge Anthony Viviano, officials said.
Kozlowski, 46, was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty to poisoning. He was given 60 days in jail to be served on weekends and five years of probation, officials said.
Viviano conveyed to the defense attorney that he would sentence Kozlowski to probation, over the objection of the assistant prosecutor, authorities said.
Probation is substantially below the sentencing guidelines for poisoning, a 15-year felony, Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith said.
"This defendant’s actions were despicable," Smith said. "We are all thankful this sneak attack didn’t cause the victim to fall asleep behind the wheel on her way to work, killing herself and/or innocent drivers."
The criminal guidelines for poisoning indicate that Kozlowski should serve a minimum of 19 to 38 months in prison, according to Smith.
"This defendant deserves nothing less than a prison cell for his actions and that is what we will be stressing to Judge Viviano Thursday morning or we will be appealing the sentence, plain and simple," Smith said.