Widower of woman killed by cyanide-laced coffee says they wanted to start a family

The husband of a woman who died after she was allegedly poisoned with cyanide-laced coffee, has revealed the couple wanted to start a family.

Jessica Kumala Wongso, who is an Australian permanent resident, is accused of killing Wayan Mirna Salihin on January 6 while the pair were at a cafe in Indonesia.

Mirna had recently married her husband Arief Soemarko.
Mirna had recently married her husband Arief Soemarko.
Jessica Wongso (L) is accused of murdering her friend Mirna Salihin (R)
Jessica Wongso (L) is accused of murdering her friend Mirna Salihin (R)

Ms Salihin's husband, Arief SoemarkoI, told Fairfax outside the trial at Central Jakarta District Court that he wanted 'justice to be served in accordance with the law'.

The newlyweds had planned to go to Kora for their honeymoon in April and then start having children.

Mirna Salihin is seen in this photo handling coffee on a separate occasion to the one where she was poisoned. Photo: Facebook
Mirna Salihin is seen in this photo handling coffee on a separate occasion to the one where she was poisoned. Photo: Facebook

Ms Salihin collapsed at Olivier, a restaurant in the Grand Indonesia shopping mall in central Jakarta, which has become a popular tourist attraction since the poisoning.

She began frothing at the mouth after drinking a Vietnamese iced coffee that Ms Wongso had ordered for her more than half an hour earlier.


Jessica reportedly said: 'This is for you Mir, you said you want Vietnamese Iced Coffee'," Fairfax reports that the court heard.

"Then Ms Salihin drank it and said: 'It's not tasty, it's awful'.

Two minutes later Ms Salihin fell unconscious and she died on the way to hospital.

Ms Salihin's father recently hit out at an arrangement between Australia and Indonesia that his daughter's accused killer would not face the death penalty.

It was previously reported that Ms Wongso was jealous of Ms Salihin on her wedding day.
It was previously reported that Ms Wongso was jealous of Ms Salihin on her wedding day.

The two women had studied together at the design college Billy Blue in Sydney for several years.

Prosecutors allege the two women had a falling out around the middle of last year, when Ms Salihin discovered Wongso was in a relationship with a man in Australia.

After Wongso broke it off, prosecutors claim she decided to "to avenge her pain ... and take away Ms Salihin life".

Wongso in Jakarta and accused of murdering Ms Salihin who died soon after allegedly drinking coffee laced with cyanide. Photo:AAP =/Oscar Siagian
Wongso in Jakarta and accused of murdering Ms Salihin who died soon after allegedly drinking coffee laced with cyanide. Photo:AAP =/Oscar Siagian

CCTV on the day of Ms Salihin's death allegedly shows Wongso arriving at the Jakarta restaurant well before her friend.

After ordering an iced coffee for Ms Salihin, she arranges a number of shopping bags around the drink, blocking any view of it.

After a few minutes she then allegedly returned to her original seat, cleared away the shopping bags and pushed the coffee into the middle of the table.

Wongso's lawyer, Otto Hasibuan, said in court on Tuesday that the the indictment did not explain how the cyanide was purchased.

However the prosecution said they had 'strong evidence' of Wongso's guilt.

Wongso was arrested on January 30 and denies one count of pre-meditated murder.