Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-wq484 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T13:51:25.668Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Epilepsy and Arson

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Peter K. Carpenter  and
Alan L. King
Peter K. Carpenter
Affiliation:
Farleigh Hospital, Flax Bourton, Bristol BS19 3QZ
Alan L. King
Affiliation:
Leicester General Hospital, Gwendolen Road, Leicester LE5 4PW
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A man temporarily developed an organic personality change, psychosis and epilepsy after a frontal lobe operation for a subarachnoid haemorrhage. While affected, he set fire to his house. The arson is thought to have been a direct result of a seizure. The case and its legal management are discussed.

Type
Brief Reports
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 154 , Issue 4 , April 1989 , pp. 554 - 556
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1989 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Blair, D. (1977) The medicolegal aspects of automatism. Medicine, Science and the Law, 17, 167–182.Google Scholar
Brahams, D. (1983) Epilepsy is mental illness. Lancet, ii 116–117.Google Scholar
Brahams, D. (1984) Epilepsy and the Law. Lancet, i 1481.Google Scholar
Cope, R. V. & Donovan, W. M. (1979) A case of insane automatism? British Journal of Psychiatry, 135, 574–575.Google Scholar
Delgado-Escueta, A. V., Mattson, R. H., King, L., et al (1981) The nature of aggression during epileptic seizures. New England Journal of Medicine, 305, 711–716.Google Scholar
Fenton, G. W. (1972) Epilepsy and automatism. British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 7, 57–64.Google Scholar
Fenwick, P., Aspinall, A., Bowden, P., et al (1984) Epilepsy and insanity (letter). Lancet, ii 528–529.Google Scholar
Gunn, J. (1978) Epileptic homicide: a case report. British Journal of Psychiatry, 132, 510–513.Google Scholar
Gunn, J. & Fenton, G. W. (1971) Epilepsy, automatism, and crime. Lancet, i 1173–1176.Google Scholar
Hamilton, J. R. (1984) Epilepsy and insanity (letter). Lancet, ii 989.Google Scholar
Hamilton, J. R. (1986) Insanity legislation. Journal of Medical Ethics, 12, 13–17.Google Scholar
Knox, S. J. (1968) Epileptic automatism and violence. Medicine, Science and the Law, 8, 96–104.Google Scholar
Mason, J. K. (1983) Forensic Medicine for Lawyers. London: Butterworths.Google Scholar
Pincus, J. H. (1981) Violence and epilepsy. New England Journal of Medicine, 305, 696–698.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.