Convicted rapist swallows poison pill after guilty verdict

A convicted rapist is fighting for life after apparently trying to poison himself in a French courtroom when a judge found him guilty of rape and kidnapping that led to death.

It is believed Willy Bardon took a poison pill when the verdict was read.

The dramatic gesture came at the end of a high-profile trial into one of France's bigger cold cases: the 2002 killing of Elodie Kulik, a young woman.

The 24-year-old bank manager was abducted, raped and murdered after he car was ambushed as she drove home from a restaurant.

She tried to call emergency services as she was being dragged from her vehicle, with the 26 seconds of audio recorded eventually leading to Bardon being charged.

Male voices could be heard on the police call which were identified as Bardon by family members of Grégory Wiart, whose DNA was found at the scene.

Police concluded Wiart, who died in 2003, was one of the killers.

French journalists inside the courtroom described seeing Bardon swallow an unidentified pill in the defendant's box.

One of his lawyers told Europe-1 radio on Saturday that his client was desperate and convinced of his innocence.

The Amiens prosecutor said the pill contained pesticide, according to French media.

An investigation has begun into how he obtained the pill.

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.