Pubdate: Mon, 09 Oct 2006
Source: Daily Mail (UK)
Copyright: 2006 Associated Newspapers Ltd
Contact:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/108

SOLDIER IN CANNABIS FRENZY KILLED FATHER OF HIS BEST FRIEND

A soldier who killed a teacher in a cannabis-induced  frenzy will be 
jailed today.

Lance Corporal Laurie Draper, 31, hacked his best  friend's father to 
death with garden shears after  smoking the drug.

Medical tests found he was suffering from "cannabis  induced 
delusions" when he attacked 53-year-old Paul  Butterworth at his home 
in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire.

It had been a "nice friendly evening" until Draper  smoked a joint 
after dinner. It sparked a manic  reaction known as hypomania - a 
condition which causes  hyperactivity and an inflated sense of power.

He admitted the manslaughter of Mr Butterworth and  assaulting Mr 
Butterworth's son Ashley, 33, at their  home in March. He will be 
sentenced at St Albans Crown  Court.

The case comes amid controversy over the downgrading of  cannabis 
from a class B drug to a class C.

A Hackney pastor has launched a landmark legal  challenge to overturn 
the "softly, softly" approach by  police. The Rev George Hargreaves 
has been given  UKP30,000 by a secret sponsor to fund his attempt to 
reverse police guidelines on possession of the drug.

Mr Hargreaves's bid for a judicial review comes after  the murder of 
Steven Nyembo-Ya-Muteba, attacked by a  gang who neighbours said had 
been smoking "skunk", a  super-strength variety of cannabis.

His wife Veronique, 29, and two young daughters led a  memorial 
service through the streets of Hackney  yesterday, a week after the 
40-year-old's death.

Draper, who served in Iraq, was in the Royal Logistic  Corps, based 
in Colchester. He was in the process of  leaving the Army when the 
killing happened. The court  heard it was the first time Draper had 
used cannabis  for several years and that he had grown it at home.

A source close to the case said: "Draper had been  displaying bizarre 
behaviour for a couple of months but  clearly cannabis tipped the 
scales. It was a perfectly  nice friendly evening but suddenly, after 
smoking the  cannabis, he just flipped.

"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 hacked  him to death with a pair of long-handled shears, 
tree croppers, hitting him about 50 times in the head."

Mr Butterworth had worked at Sheredes School, a mixed  comprehensive 
in Hoddesdon, for 18 years and had  dedicated his life to teaching 
and students.

Prosecutors accepted Draper's not guilty plea to murder  on the 
grounds of diminished responsibility.

Mr Hargreaves's court bid is the first time the 
police  interpretation of Government drug policy has been  challenged.

After the downgrading of cannabis, the Association of  Chief Police 
Officers issued a policy in 2003 advising  officers in most cases to 
issue a warning and  confiscate the drug.

The downgrading coincided with a boom in the use of skunk.

It is feared it can lead to psychosis and is fuelling a  rise in 
violent crime. The association has begun a  review of the guidelines.
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MAP posted-by: Elaine