A semi-retired businessman has been charged with trying to kill his wife with a cup of tea laced with a commonly available ant poison.

Police arrested Stephan Wagner, 61, on Tuesday and seized a bottle of Ant-Rid from his home at St Andrews, in Sydney’s south-west.

It is alleged the pesticide, which contains the toxin borax, was put in a cup of tea he prepared for 66-year-old Glenda Wagner in September.

Wagner has been charged with a string of domestic violence-related offences, including causing poison to be taken with intent to murder, using poison to endanger life and using poison to inflict grievous bodily harm.

He allegedly poisoned his wife from December 2022 until September 2024, according to court documents.

The 61-year-old briefly appeared by video-link in Campbelltown local court on Wednesday, when his lawyer did not apply for bail.

The magistrate, Clare Farnan, adjourned the matter until 4 December.

An interim apprehended violence order has been imposed, prohibiting Wagner from contacting his wife or going within one kilometre of her home or workplace.

She was treated in hospital after the alleged poisoning, but has since been released.

The bottle of insecticide has been sent for forensic testing.

According to his social media profiles, Wagner is “semi-retired” after working as a regional manager at the federal Department of Industry, Science and Resources.

He had also previously been a lecturer at Western Sydney University teaching marketing, his LinkedIn profile stated.

Officers established strike force southport in September to investigate reports of an alleged poisoning.

– Emily Wind contributed reporting