startwin

Funny, innit, how many people are fighting to stay here, and along comes this guy who wants out, but can't get out.
It all sounds way too fishy to me. If this is genuine - and I doubt it - if the British consulate can't/won't do anything, looks like you're out of luck.

MAN2YKF

It happens,

Caithness lass

Information from the British National Formulary (you can register yourself online to get this). This is the book all UK health professionals refer to when prescribing/administering medication - consider it the medication bible for the UK.

MIDAZOLAM
Additional information interactions (Midazolam).
Indications sedation with amnesia; sedation in intensive care; premedication, induction of anaesthesia; status epilepticus [unlicensed use], section 4.8.2

Cautions see notes above; cardiac disease; respiratory disease; myasthenia gravis; neonates; children (particularly if cardiovascular impairment); history of drug or alcohol abuse; reduce dose in elderly and debilitated; avoid prolonged use (and abrupt withdrawal thereafter); concentration of midazolam in children under 15 kg not to exceed 1 mg/mL; hepatic impairment (Appendix 2); renal impairment (Appendix 3); pregnancy (Appendix 4) and breast-feeding (Appendix 5); interactions: Appendix 1 (anxiolytics and hypnotics)

Contra-indications marked neuromuscular respiratory weakness including unstable myasthenia gravis; severe respiratory depression; acute pulmonary insufficiency

Side-effects see notes above; gastro-intestinal disturbances, increased appetite, jaundice; hypotension, cardiac arrest, heart rate changes, anaphylaxis, thrombosis; laryngospasm, bronchospasm, respiratory depression and respiratory arrest (particularly with high doses or on rapid injection); drowsiness, confusion, ataxia, amnesia, headache, euphoria, hallucinations, convulsions (more common in neonates), dizziness, vertigo, involuntary movements, paradoxical excitement and aggression (especially in children and elderly), dysarthria; urinary retention, incontinence, changes in libido; blood disorders; muscle weakness; visual disturbances; salivation changes; skin reactions; injection-site reactions

Dose
Conscious sedation, by slow intravenous injection (approx. 2 mg/minute) 5–10 minutes before procedure, initially 2–2.5 mg (elderly 0.5–1 mg), increased if necessary in steps of 1 mg (elderly 0.5–1 mg); usual total dose 3.5–5 mg (max. 7.5 mg), elderly max. 3.5 mg; child by intravenous injection over 2–3 minutes, 6 months–5 years initially 50–100 micrograms/kg, dose increased if necessary in small steps (max. total dose 6 mg), 6–12 years initially 25–50 micrograms/kg, dose increased if necessary in small steps (max. total dose 10 mg)

By intramuscular injection, child 1–15 years 50–150 micrograms/kg; max. 10 mg

By rectum, child 6 months–18 years, see BNF for Children

Sedative in combined anaesthesia, by intravenous injection, 30–100 micrograms/kg repeated as required or by continuous intravenous infusion, 30–100 micrograms/kg/hour (elderly lower doses needed); child not recommended

By rectum, child 6 months–12 years, see BNF for Children

Sedation of patients receiving intensive care, by slow intravenous injection, initially 30–300 micrograms/kg given in steps of 1–2.5 mg every 2 minutes, then by slow intravenous injection or by continuous intravenous infusion, 30–200 micrograms/kg/hour; reduce dose (or reduce or omit initial dose) in hypovolaemia, vasoconstriction, or hypothermia; lower doses may be adequate if opioid analgesic also used; neonate under 32 weeks gestational age by continuous intravenous infusion, 30 micrograms/kg/hour, neonate over 32 weeks gestational age and child under 6 months 60 micrograms/kg/hour, child over 6 months by slow intravenous injection, initially 50–200 micrograms/kg, then by continuous intravenous infusion, 60–120 micrograms/kg/hour, adjusted according to response

LORAZEPAM
Additional information interactions (Lorazepam); hepatic impairment; renal impairment; pregnancy; breast-feeding.
Indications short-term use in anxiety or insomnia (see CSM advice); status epilepticus (section 4.8.2); peri-operative (section 15.1.4.1)

Cautions see under Diazepam; short acting; when given parenterally, facilities for managing respiratory depression with mechanical ventilation must be at hand

Contra-indications see under Diazepam

Side-effects see under Diazepam

Dose
By mouth, anxiety, 1–4 mg daily in divided doses; elderly (or debilitated) half adult dose

Insomnia associated with anxiety, 1–2 mg at bedtime; child not recommended

By intramuscular or slow intravenous injection (into a large vein), acute panic attacks, 25–30 micrograms/kg (usual range 1.5–2.5 mg), repeated every 6 hours if necessary; child not recommended

Note Only use intramuscular route when oral and intravenous routes not possible

DIAZEPAM
Additional information interactions (Diazepam).
Indications short-term use in anxiety or insomnia (see CSM advice); adjunct in acute alcohol withdrawal; status epilepticus (section 4.8.2); febrile convulsions (section 4.8.3); muscle spasm (section 10.2.2); peri-operative use (section 15.1.4.1)

Cautions respiratory disease, muscle weakness and myasthenia gravis, history of drug or alcohol abuse, marked personality disorder, pregnancy (Appendix 4), breast-feeding (Appendix 5); reduce dose in elderly and debilitated, and in hepatic impairment (avoid if severe; Appendix 2), renal impairment (Appendix 3); avoid prolonged use (and abrupt withdrawal thereafter); special precautions for intravenous injection (section 4.8.2); acute porphyria (section 9.8.2); when given parenterally, close observation required until full recovery from sedation; interactions: Appendix 1 (anxiolytics and hypnotics)

Driving Drowsiness may affect performance of skilled tasks (e.g. driving); effects of alcohol enhanced

Contra-indications respiratory depression; marked neuromuscular respiratory weakness including unstable myasthenia gravis; acute pulmonary insufficiency; sleep apnoea syndrome; severe hepatic impairment; not for chronic psychosis; should not be used alone in depression or in anxiety with depression; avoid injections containing benzyl alcohol in neonates (see under preparations below)

Side-effects drowsiness and lightheadedness the next day; confusion and ataxia (especially in the elderly); amnesia; dependence; paradoxical increase in aggression (see also section 4.1); muscle weakness; occasionally: headache, vertigo, hypotension, salivation changes, gastro-intestinal disturbances, visual disturbances, dysarthria, tremor, changes in libido, incontinence, urinary retention; blood disorders and jaundice reported; skin reactions; on intravenous injection, pain, thrombophlebitis, and rarely apnoea;

Hope this info helps

PeterF

To be honest I was thinking the same thing.

No-one here knows whether this is genuine, nor do any of us know (if true) both sides of the story.

The very fact that you do not know, should mean that you either try to give helpful advice if you have something positive or shut the hell up if you do not.

Sorry, but some of the comments I have read here are disgraceful for people who are supposed to be civilised.

fledermaus

I was thinking more on the lines of reasons to become a citizen, rather than once charged trying to find funding. The only extra rights to being a citizen, AFAIK, are voting, and access to legal aid. You never know what life is going to chuck at you.

nikki dreaming

completely agree

Good luck to the OP, hope you can work something out.

If I have been led up the garden path so be it.

Little Britain

WOW Caithness lass that's a lot of useful information. I'll pass that along to my lawyer. It's already been cited that could be the cause of my behaviour that day.

I saw a psychiatrist to have a mental assessment for the benefit of my defence. He said that those drugs could have caused me to be in a state of "non insane automatism". I'm told though that I need to find a pharmaceutical expert, to testify in court that this was possibly the cause of this.

fledermaus

Seems about the same to me. I've worked in both systems.


Sounds plausible to me. Why not give him the benefit of the doubt?

DaveLovesDee

Sam Pazzano at the Toronto Sun is their Courts reporter, his contact details are on this page. I don't personally know him but I was given his name.

Alternatively you could e-mail the News Desk at [email protected]

seanyg

"[edit] Intoxication
Main article: Intoxication in English law
See also: Intoxication defence

The Drunkenness of Noah by Michelangelo. Technically, intoxication is not a defence, but negatives the mens rea for specific intent offences (e.g. it commutes a murder sentence to manslaughter). In other words, a defendant may have been so drunk, or drugged, that he was incapable of forming the criminal intention required.[44] Voluntary intoxication is considered reckless, a state of basic intent,[45] which means one cannot have ones sentence reduced for crimes of basic intent (e.g. manslaughter, assault, etc). So for instance, in R v. Sheehan and Moore two viciously drunken scoundrels threw petrol on a tramp and set fire to him. They got off for murder, but still went down for manslaughter, since that is a crime of basic intent. Of course, it can well be the case that someone is not drunk enough to support any intoxication defence at all.

[46] On the other hand, if someone becomes involuntarily intoxicated, because her drink is laced or spiked, then the question is whether the normal mens rea was present at the incident's time. So where a blackmailer drugged a man's coffee, invited him to abuse a 15 year old boy, and photographed it, the man was denied the defence of intoxication because the court simply did not believe that the man did not intend to commit the abuse.[47]

Sometimes intoxicated people make mistakes, as in R v. Lipman[48] where the defendant took LSD, thought his girlfriend was a snake and strangled her. Here, intoxication operated as a defence because Mr Lipman was mistaken in his specific intent of killing a snake. But intoxication does not negative the basic intent crime of manslaughter, with his "reckless course of conduct" in taking drugs. Lastly, while a mistake about a person or the actual action is acceptable, a mistake about how much force to use to defend oneself is not. Using a sledgehammer to fend off an "attacker" after 20 pints of beer is disproportionate.[49]"

(from Wikipedia, which also talks about automatism)

Coffeepot

Where are you from LB as in your parents ?

Greenhill

See if you can track down this guy http://www.mleecohen.com/, I haven't seen his name in the paper for a while (so he might be out on his bike) but if anyone can offer good advice, it would be him.

ruaillebuaille

For an ecstasy overdose the main negative emotional symptom would be irritability not aggression.Therefore the question remains, why Midazolam was administered by paramedics when it is a drug given for patients in states of extreme aggression/psychotic states????

marclouis

Sorry, dont mean to be heartless.

but is there any reason that once you have done your homework for your defence regarding the drugs administered that you wouldnt e better of staying in jail at the cost of the tax payers. As out of jail you are put in the impossible position of not being able support yourself. It seems you receive a lot more support from charities etc whilst you were inside.

I think there are 4 groups of people you have joined this thread, those that mostly belive your story, those that dont belive a word, those that dont care and those that belive you are leaving something pertinent out. I think i fall in to the latter.

I agree also you must get the press involved, as if what you say is true, your position is intolerable. Getting the press onside will buy you a lot of credibility with those that may not belive you, and will get you attention from all sorts of support.

Good luck, please keep us updated, if you can.

Jim Humphries

Put me down as not believing a word.