A gay man tried to poison his lesbian neighbours by putting slug pellets into their curry after he was accused of kidnapping their three-legged cat.
Gary Stewart, 37, had been at loggerheads with Marie Walton and Beverley Sales for months.
But things looked brighter when he made a peace offering of some curry, claiming he had ordered too much from the Indian takeaway
When the women started to eat, they found the curry studded with slug pellets.
They called the police and Stewart was arrested.
He appeared before magistrates in Manchester where he admitted attempting to poison the two women on September 22.
He denied a further charge of making threats to kill.
Last night it emerged that Miss Walton, a full-time mother, and Miss Sales, a goods vehicle driver, had been the victims of an apparent hate campaign by Stewart at their home in Denton, Manchester.
Stewart is even alleged to have kidnapped the family's three-legged cat, Amber, and dumped her in a village miles away.
The cat was eventually found after posters were put up with her photograph.
She was found three miles away being cared for by a woman who had taken her in.
Last night neighbours said the alleged harassment had left Miss Walton and Miss Sales distraught. The attempt to poison them with slug pellets was the final straw.
"It has been nothing short of a nightmare and I hope this brings things to an end because what those two girls have had to endure these past years has been horrendous,' one neighbour said. 'He was abusive to them and made their lives a misery.
"And to cap it off, he kidnapped their cat and dumped it on the streets.
Slug pellets - which normally contain the chemical metaldehyde - can be extremely dangerous to animals and children.
But the chemical is classed as being "moderately hazardous" by the World Health Organisation and would not normally kill an adult.
Residents said that when Stewart had initially moved in with his partner, Paul Kleisier, several years ago they had been perfect neighbours.
But over time they became "vindictive" and began arguments with residents over petty matters.
Stewart's partner, 43, is thought to have become seriously ill and died this summer.
Stewart is due to appear again before Manchester magistrates at a later date. - Daily Mail
