Man had stabbed himself 50 times (Self-ZOTting! Over, and over, and over, and...)

The Huddersfield Daily Examiner ^ | 10.16.03 | Jane Yelland

[mhking]

A MAN bled to death after stabbing himself 50 times while suffering from a psychiatric illness, an inquest heard.

William McArthur, 32, was found by his sister and her boyfriend, when they visited his flat in Tolson Crescent, Dalton, on April 18.

Caroline McArthur said she called at the flat after not seeing her brother for a few days.

"I looked through the letterbox and saw blood on the walls and carpet," she said.

She said she went in and saw his body in the kitchen. "I went outside crying because I was so upset," she added.

Miss McArthur said her brother had developed a mental illness at the start of the year.

He had been admitted to St Luke's Hospital, Crosland Moor, but he discharged himself.

Pathologist Prof Christopher Milroy told the Huddersfield inquest he found 50 stab wounds in Mr McArthur's chest. They were concentrated in an area about 15cm by 13cm and were each about 1.8- 1.1cm long.

Prof Milroy said he was shown a knife with a 14cm blade which could have been used. The wounds did not penetrate any major organs.

He added: "Death has not been a quick event. It has been a slow event."

Prof Milroy said he found traces of cannabis in Mr McArthur's blood. "There has been some concern about the use of cannabis and the development of psychotic episodes," he added.

"It would be speculation as to whether cannabis smoking had affected his mind or other behaviour."

Prof Milroy said the cause of death was the stab wounds.

Dr Britto, a psychiatrist at St Luke's Hospital, said Mr McArthur had been admitted on January 3.

He was not keen on taking anti- psychotic medication, but when he was discharged on January 20 he had shown no suicidal tendencies and had the support of his family.

Dr Britto last saw Mr McArthur on March 5, when he was urged to take medication.

Coroner Roger Whittaker said there was no firm evidence that Mr McArthur intended to kill himself and it was not an accident.

He recorded an open verdict.

[mhking]

Just damn.

If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

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[tet68]

"It would be speculation as to whether cannabis smoking had affected his mind or other behaviour."

Yes it would.

[adaven]

Prof Milroy said he found traces of cannabis in Mr McArthur's blood. "There has been some concern about the use of cannabis and the development of psychotic episodes," he added.

Ping

[ErnBatavia]

We had a case out here just last month where a sixty-something male realtor shot his thirty-something female realtor girlfriend to death, and then suffered "multiple gunshot wounds" in his FAILED suicide attempt.

I still want more details on this one!

[wimpycat]

OK, I'm not for the legalization of pot or anything, but even I wouldn't go so far as to suggest marijuana had anything to do with this. I think it could possibly have exacerbated his mental condition (it can have a mild hallucinogenic effect in some people), but the reason this happened was because the guy "was not keen on taking anti- psychotic medication." I have a relative who has a mental ilness and I know and appreciate the value of anti-psychotic drugs, and I also know that some people with a psychotic illness (schizophrenia and other related conditions) many times won't take their meds.

[Vigilanteman]

If this only had happened in America, think of all the possible lawsuit targets for the survivors:

1. St. Luke's Hospital for allowing him to discharge himself,
   
2. The manufacturer of the knife for not writing proper safety instructions on the handle,
   
3. The makers of whatever television program he was watching 2-3 days before he did the deed . . .

[scarface367]

Prof Milroy said the cause of death was the stab wounds.

You think?

[jmc813]

WOD Ping

[w_over_w]

I'm sorry but this simply IS NOT self-ZOTing. Now if the guy had continuously stuck a paper clip into an AC socket . . .

[Bars4Bill]

I remember being in an eighth-grade electronics class when a genius next to me bent a length of solder into a "U" and plugged it into the workbench outlet to "see if the solder would melt."

[mhking]

when a genius next to me bent a length of solder into a "U" and plugged it into the workbench outlet

Did his hair stand on end!?

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Coroner Roger Whittaker said there was no firm evidence that Mr McArthur intended to kill himself and it was not an accident.

[blanknoone]

It would be speculation as to whether cannabis smoking had affected his mind or other behaviour Well, it apparently is not speculation whenever herbal things like ephedra are involved.

[Cultural Jihad]

May God be merciful and lift William McArthur up to the Light of His countenance,
and may perpetual Light shine upon him.

[Cultural Jihad]

All around this wide country the winter has now begun
Now is the time to slip away from the California sun
To a place where a man can be free as the wind
As wild as the huskies' cry
Now winter is nigh let us fly to my log cabin home in the sky

With snow piling all round the door
And many a log on the stove
Where the chickadee's singing a comforting song
I'll show you it's you that I love
O let the wolves howl, they won't find us here
By a soft oil lamp we will lie

Now there comes a time to every man
When he must turn his back on the crowd
When the glare of the lights gets much too bright
And the music plays too loud
When a man must run from the deeds he has done
Recalling those days with a sigh.

[Willie Green]

Investigators are still uncertain whether a note found in the home had anything to do with the incident.

...someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'cause it took so long to bake it
and I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, nooo!

[sweet_diane]

"I have a relative who has a mental ilness and I know and appreciate the value of anti-psychotic drugs, and I also know that some people with a psychotic illness (schizophrenia and other related conditions) many times won't take their meds."

Sounds like this man tried to self medicate with pot and it didn't work so he found other means to end his terror. My sister was diagnosed schizophrenic in the late 70's and won't skip her meds for fear of the terror returning... she's one of the lucky ones. Many stop taking their meds for a variety of reasons.

[Psalm118]

Beautiful poetry indeed, CJ.

Just who wrote this piece ?.

[Manic_Episode]

When I was in 10th grade I placed an unused staple between the prongs of the plug-in on my teachers overhead projector.
It fit so flush it was undetectable.
The teacher went to use it and when it wouldn't turn on, he saw it was unplugged.
Sparks shot out ten feet and power went out in half the building. It was the first time I ever heard a man scream, along with half the class.

15 years later I was youth director at church and told my kids about this. Of course they were way too nice of kids to do this themselves, but wouldn't you know they told all their friends, and that next week the high school kept having unexplained power outages.

I'm such a jerk.