Hey man! Why are you looking at me so weird!
Posted on 08/30/2006 9:27:52 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Cannabis-induced delusions drove a soldier to hack his best friend's father to death with a pair of garden shears, a court heard today.
Laurie Draper, 31, wept as he blamed puffs on just a couple of pipes of the drug for the sudden outburst of frenzied violence which killed popular teacher Paul Butterworth, 53.
The lance corporal, who had served in Iraq, admitted manslaughter, and also admitted assaulting his friend, Mr Butterworth's son Ashley, 33.
Prosecutors accepted shaven-headed Draper's plea of not guilty to murder after medical tests found he was suffering from 'cannabis-induced delusions' and hypomania.
Hypomania is a condition which involves hyperactivity and a grandiose sense of power.
The case will reignite the controversy over the Government's 2004 decision to downgrade cannabis to a class C drug - with users now facing simply a warning instead of arrest and possible jail.
Critics argue there is mounting evidence that cannabis is not only a 'gateway' drug to harder substances such as heroin, but also that it poses a serious danger to mental health in itself. Scientists say it is a common factor in sparking schizophrenia.
Draper, who lived in army barracks in Colchester, Essex, attacked Paul Butterworth with a pair of long-handled shears in the back garden of the teacher's home in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, in March, St Albans Crown Court was told.
He had not used cannabis for years - but on that night, after smoking only two pipes of the drug, he suddenly went wild.
A source close to the case said: 'Draper had been displaying bizarre behaviour for a couple of months - but clearly cannabis tipped the scales and he went completely beserk on this occasion. It was a cannabis-induced psychotic rage.
'He had not seen his best friend Ashley for two years, and at first it was a perfectly nice friendly evening. But suddenly, after smoking the cannabis, he just flipped for no apparent reason.
'He thought he was on fire, the house was on fire, and that Paul and Ashley were trying to attack him. He went into the kitchen and doused it with water, then stripped his clothes off - and attacked Paul.
'He absolutely hacked him to death with this pair of long-handled shears, tree croppers, hitting him about 50 times in the head and face.
'Ashley tried to save his father, but then he fled because he was convinced he was going to be killed as well. He was probably right.'
Neighbour Linda Howard said: 'I saw the arrested man being led away in handcuffs, he was completely naked. There were two officers restraining him.
'Ashley had cradled his dad in his arms and tried to save him but he stood no chance.'
Prosecutor Ann Evans, told the court: 'There's no suggestion that even shortly before the act there was any ill-feeling between the parties at all.
'This seems absolutely exceptional.'
That was why, she said, the Crown considered the charge of murder 'inappropriate'.
Stephen Atkinson, defending, said the defendant was 'of hitherto good character', and would be calling his army officers to speak in mitigation for his crimes.
Draper, whose family had a history of mental illness, served in the Royal Logistic Corps, attached to the 13th Air Assault Brigade, and based in Colchester.
He had completed six-months in Iraq in 2003 and was in the process of leaving the army when cannabis made him kill.
Former army colleague Matthew Holmes said: 'He was a brilliant soldier who loved the Army.'
Mr Butterworth was a canoeist and animal-lover who kept owls and lizards. He had separated from his wife Lesley two years ago.
Their son Ashley became friends with Draper when the two boys were growing up together in Leicester.
Gentle craft and design teacher Mr Butterworth had worked for 18 years at Sheredes comprehensive in Hoddesdon, regularly taking his pupils on trips to Colchester zoo.
Head teacher Rob Robson said after his death: 'Many parents have contacted us to say how much Paul, with his friendly and caring nature, meant to their children.'
Draper will be sentenced at the end of next month - and Judge Michael Baker warned yesterday it was 'obviously inevitable' he would be jailed.
The number of cannabis smokers in Britain is believed to have soared by 20 per cent to 3.5m since Labour came to power.
And recently published figures showed that hospital admissions for mental illness linked to cannabis leapt from 490 in 2001 to 710 last year, after the drug had been downgraded in law.
"However, alcohol caused fights all of the time."
Alcohol in excess seems to magnify whatever's already there, or at least that was my experience during my party years in school.
Probably smoking hashish. I once saw a friend get paranoid after smoking hash.
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premenstrual dysphoric disorder or PMDD
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Mylan gets tenative FDA approval for generic Sarafem
Food and Drug Administration has granted tentative approval for the company's abbreviated new drug application for Fluoxetine capsules. The drug, which is used to treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder, is the generic version of Eli Lilly and Co.'s Sarafem,
I was also struck by the statement that pot use went up after the govt. relaxed penalties. A poster on another thread wouldn't accept my assertion that pot use here would increase if it was decriminalized, esp. if the price dropped as a result.
My first question was what was the pot laced with?
The title should be...Reefer Madness Sets Murderer Free.
Not even for the last chocolate biscuit?
OK, then, WHY did he do it???
And Ritalin is not the only narcotic being abused by gamers for the purpose of enhancing their skills and prolonging play. Indeed, a number of drugs are becoming popular among gamers, from amphetamines to nootropics or "smart drugs". Young people are even experimenting by combining drugs, such as Ecstasy and Viagra.
"Young people are even experimenting by combining drugs, such as Ecstasy and Viagra."
Anybody who thinks this is being done to play video games is more than a little naive.
OK, then, WHY did he do it???
Never mind - I guess there has to be more to the story.
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Dr. Maressa Orzack is a licensed psychologist and founder and coordinator of the Computer Addiction Services clinic at McLean Hospital in Newton, Massachusetts, which treats video game addiction. Orzack believes heavy game play can lead to many gamers trying illicit substances in order to enhance and prolong their playing time. "Amphetamines and methamphetamines are becoming popular; they can certainly help you stay up for long hours and probably help enhance the excitement. A lot of gamers, particularly the addicted ones, try to find ways to avoid sleep and keep their concentration."
While marijuana and video games has been a popular combination for years, many gamers have moved beyond simple recreational drugs to more potent and targeted narcotics. "Marijuana is still the prime example when it comes to video games," Orzack says. "I haven't had any of my patients tell me about [Ritalin and amphetamines] yet, but I won't be surprised when someone does."
Hey man! Why are you looking at me so weird!
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