Man who tricked girlfriend into taking 'abortion pills' is sentenced to nearly 14 years in prison

John Weldon gave his ex-girlfriend a drug he believed would cause her to miscarry

John Weldon has been sentenced to almost 14 years in prison after he tricked his former girlfriend into taking a pill he believed would cause her to have a miscarriage.

A Florida man has been sentenced to almost 14 years in prison after he tricked his former girlfriend into taking a pill he believed would cause her to have a miscarriage.

John Weldon pleaded guilty in September to tampering with a consumer product and conspiracy to commit mail fraud. He had faced a possible life sentence if convicted of his original charge of killing an unborn child.

Prosecutors say the 29-year-old forged a signature last year on a prescription for a pill used to induce labour. He relabelled a pill bottle as an antibiotic and told his then-girlfriend Remee Lee to take the pills for a bacterial infection. She was between six and seven weeks pregnant when she miscarried.

Ms Lee as she left the court room holding scans of her unborn baby

During the trial, Ms Lee told the courtroom: “The only thing I want now is for the court to show Andrew the same amount of mercy he showed me in my pregnancy,” she said.

Welden admitted in a plea agreement that he forged the signature of his father Dr Stephen Weldon to obtain the drug, who is a Tampa-area obstetrician. His father has not been accused of wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crime.

He was sentenced to 13 years and 8 months in prison on Monday afternoon by a Tampa judge.

"Of course I'm remorseful for everything," Wedlen said as he was escorted out of the courtroom.