London, England (LifeNews.com) -- A British businessman from Hendon a filed an appeal of his sentence of three year in prison for forcing his pregnant wife to have an abortion. Gil Magira, 35, had pleaded guilty to purchasing the dangerous RU 486 abortion drug from the Internet and putting it in his partner's sandwich to cause her to have an abortion.

After his 11-week pregnant girlfriend Anat Abraham failed to miscarry following the first forced abortion attempt, Magira laced a yogurt with another abortion drug but failed again to kill the baby.

Magira has already served nine months in prison during the trial and had that time discounted from a three year, nine month prison term.

But his attorney, Jonathan Goldberg, told the Herndon Times newspaper he has submitted an appeal of the sentence to the Court of Appeal.

Goldberg previously said Magira should receive a lesser punishment or none at all because Magira suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder.

Goldberg cited numerous problems Magira has encountered because of the problem and put several people on the stand to testify on his behalf.

But, during the sentencing phase of the trial, the newspaper reported prosecutors said that shouldn't mitigate the forced abortion and the sentence necessary because of the crime.

"Mr Magira committed an appalling and selfish act which fortunately did not have the tragic consequence he was looking for," prosecutors said.

"The circumstances around this case are unique and we believe this is the first time we have prosecuted a father for trying to terminate his wife's pregnancy in this way," they added.

The conviction comes after an appeals court in Sweden has sentenced a man to 18 months in prison for forcing his girlfriend to have an abortion by spiking her drink. The 27-year-old man mixed abortion pills in the woman's food in an attempt to make her have a miscarriage of his child.

In the United States, 34-year-old Manish Patel stands accused of spiking his girlfriend's drink with a dangerous abortion drug to cause her baby to die.

Patel has allegedly fled the country to his native India to avoid prosecution and he has forfeited a $750,000 cash bond he posted in December with the help of friends and family.

A hearing is scheduled in March to determine if they should receive their money or if some of it should be awarded to the victim, Darshana Patel, Manish's 39 year-old girlfriend who is unrelated to him.

Manish Patel has been charged with attempted first-degree homicide of an unborn child, six other felonies and two misdemeanors. He is accused of obtaining the dangerous RU 486 abortion drug from India and putting it in Darshana's drink.

Darshana never drank the concoction but turned it over to authorities after suspecting foul play. Tests revealed the presence of the mifepristone abortion drug.