A man accused of threatening to poison supermarket products unless companies paid him thousands of pounds has gone on trial.
David Sirca, 51, allegedly demanded around £84,000 (€100,000) from food giant Zuegg after threatening to contaminate its jam jars with a highly toxic substance.
He reportedly warned that poisoned products would end up on supermarket shelves unless the company paid up.
READ MORE: Sneaky driver uses hydraulic suspension to drive off with clamped wheel
After the firm refused, he allegedly sent further emails claiming he had already contaminated a jam jar and attached a video apparently showing him tampering with the product.
The footage reportedly showed a jar being opened, some of the contents removed, and thallium sulphate being added before the container was resealed.
The company raised the alarm and arranged precautionary withdrawals of products.
Silvano Groppi, the company’s legal representative, gave evidence at a hearing on 20 October.
He told the court: “We received emails ordering us to pay substantial sums of money if we did not want jars of poisoned Zuegg jam to end up in supermarkets.”
He added that many supermarket chains had withdrawn the company’s products, causing significant financial damage to the business.
Investigators allege that Sirca also targeted beer producer Martinelli, demanding around £25,000 (€30,000) and claiming he had injected rat poison into bottles of beer at a shop.
He allegedly threatened to contaminate more bottles unless the company paid him.
The investigation started after the owner of a riding school received threats that her horses would be poisoned unless money was handed over.
Police traced digital evidence linking the threatening emails to the suspect.
The trial, which is taking place in Verona in northern Italy, is not Sirca’s first brush with the law.
In a separate case in May 2026, he was sentenced to three years in prison for attempted extortion after targeting bottled-water producers and a winery, as reported by Need To Know.
That sentence, combined with an earlier four-year sentence in another case, reportedly brought his total prison term to seven years.
Sirca, a computer expert known by the nickname ‘Acquabomber’, is originally from Trieste and is currently being held in prison in Padua.
The case continues.
READ MORE: Festivalgoers leap from burning pavilion as fire leaves nine injured
