Diminished responsibility is a legal defence used in criminal cases to argue that a defendant’s mental capacity was significantly impaired at the time of the offense, reducing their ability to fully understand or control their actions. While it doesn’t absolve the defendant of guilt, it can lead to a lesser charge, such as manslaughter instead of murder, as it recognises that the individual was not fully responsible for their actions due to a mental condition, intoxication, or other impairing factors.
The incident:
Prosecutors allege that the defendant attacked and stabbed the victim, leading to a murder charge.
It was believed that the defendant may have been under the influence of drugs at the time of incident. Blood and urine samples were taken and sent to a laboratory for toxicological analysis.
Bericon’s instruction:
Bericon were instructed to comment on the drugs detected, whether the analytical results are accurate and what the effects of the drugs detected would be on a drug tolerant individual.
The results of the defendant’s blood sample analysis:
| LSD | Detected |
| Ketamine | Detected |
| Norketamine | Detected |
| Diphenhydramine | Detected |
Ketamine:
Ketamine typically causes emotional detachment, alters visual and auditory perception, and distorts time and spatial awareness. Users may also experience relaxation or sedation, along with possible confusion. In some cases, it may also lead to agitation or increased anxiety.
Norketamine, the primary metabolite of ketamine, has psychoactive effects similar to the parent drug, though with reduced potency.
Diphenhydramine:
LSD:
LSD effects vary between individuals, but common experiences include hallucinations, feelings of dissociation, euphoria, and visual or auditory disturbances.
Taking ketamine and LSD together, both of which have strong hallucinogenic and dissociative effects, is likely to result in greater impairment. This combined use can lead to more intense and unpredictable effects than using either drug alone.
Conclusion Summary:
Individuals can respond differently to drugs and drug combinations, and even the same person may experience varying effects from the same drug depending on the specific conditions and circumstances of each use. Due to this variability, it is challenging to accurately determine the likely concentration of these substances in the defendant’s system at the time of the incident or the exact effects they may have had.
After a three-week trial, the jury found the defendant not guilty of murder. However, the defendant pleaded guilty on day one of their trial to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.
