... assaulted the landlord of a pub and police officers whilst drunk. It was held he had no defence but was guilty of the charges. If a man consciously and deliberately takes alcohol and/or drugs not on medical prescription, but in order to escape from reality, to go 'on a trip' to become hallucinated, and thereby disables himself from taking the care he might otherwise take and as a result by his actions causes injury to another- does or criminal law enable him to say that because he did not know what he was doing he lacked both intention and recklessness and is entitled to an acquittal. "The defendant was under the influence of valium which had not been prescribed for him and he set fire to a friend flat, endangering lives. The court of appeal held that he did not have the mens of rea and considered that while intoxication ...

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