Texas man sentenced for drugging wife’s drinks to induce an abortion

A US man who drugged his wife’s drinks in an attempt to induce an abortion was sentenced to 180 days in jail and 10 years on probation.

Mason Herring, a 39-year-old attorney from Texas, pleaded guilty Wednesday to injury to a child and assault of a pregnant person. He had initially been charged with felony assault to induce abortion.

Catherine Herring, who has filed for divorce, told the court the jail sentence was not long enough. She said their 1-year-old daughter, their third child, was born about 10 weeks premature, has developmental delays and attends therapy eight times a week.

“I do not believe that 180 days is justice for attempting to kill your child seven separate times,” Catherine Herring said.

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mason Herring was sentenced by state District Judge Andrea Beall.

The initial complaint states that when Catherine Herring told her husband about the pregnancy he “had a negative reaction and after that evening, he sent her text messages expressing that he was not happy about the pregnancy and did not know what to do”, NBC reported.

He allegedly told his wife that the pregnancy “would ruin his plans and make him look like a jerk”.

Mason Herring pleaded guilty to injury to a child and assault of a pregnant person. Photo / AP

Catherine Herring told authorities her husband in March 2022 began lecturing her on hydration and offering water. She said she became severely ill after drinking from the first cup that appeared cloudy, which her husband explained was perhaps the result of the cup or water pipes being dirty.

Catherine Herring became suspicious and began refusing multiple other drinks her husband offered. She also set up hidden cameras around her home.

She later found in the rubbish packaging for a drug that contained misoprostol, a medicine used to induce abortion.

She also gave police videos from hidden cameras she installed at her home where her husband was no longer living. One of them showed him mixing a substance in one of her drinks, Catherine Herring said.

Mason Herring’s attorney, Dan Codgell, called the plea deal and sentence reasonable.

“It’s a sad situation and Mason has accepted his responsibility.”

- Additional reporting, NZ Herald