Japan's 'Black Widow' sentenced to death for murdering lovers

70-year-old Japenese woman has been sentenced to death for the murder of three men, including her husband, and another attempted murder.

Chisako Kakehi has been sentenced to hanging after using cyanide to kill her lovers and make millions from insureance payments. Her lawyers plan to appeal the sentence.

Prosecutors said she targeted wealthy men who were mostly elderly or sick.

The high-profile case has gripped the country, where she has become known as the Black Widow, after the female spider which kills its mates after sex.

“The accused made the victims drink a cyanide compound with a murderous intention in all the four cases,” Judge Ayako Nakagawa told the court.

Poison was found in the body of at least two men she was involved with, and police reportedly found traces of cyanide in rubbish at Kakchi’s home.

Kyoto District Court ruled that the accused used cyanide "with a murderous intention" in the four cases. Even though she has been diagnosed with dementia, the court ruled that she should be held responsible for the crimes.

"The cases were well prepared in advance. They were cunning and malicious. I have no choice but to impose the ultimate penalty," the judge said.

Kakehi, who was wearing a hearing aid and asked the judge to speak loudly during the proceedings, showed no emotion when the sentence was handed down.

She reportedly amassed one billion yen ($8.8m) in payouts over 10 years but subsequently lost most of the fortune through unsuccessful financial trading.

Ms Kakehi was accused of murdering her fourth husband, 75-year-old Isao Kakehi, on 28 December 2013, a month after they got married.

She was also accused of killing two other boyfriends, aged between 70 and 80, as well as the attempted murder and robbery of another boyfriend, between 2007 and 2013.

During the trial Kakchi admitted to killing Isao Kakehi, saying he had not treated her well financially, but later retracted it.

Her lawyers said that her testimony could not be trusted due to her dementia. They have appealed against the death sentence, arguing that her dementia means she cannot be held liable for her crimes.

“Even if I were executed tomorrow, I would die smiling,” Kakehi told judges.

This is the second-longest court case in Japan involving a jury since 2009, lasting 135 days.