insanity Cases

Question 1

R v M’naghten

Answer 1

Facts: suffering from paranoia, shot sir Robert peels secretary. Acquitted but the House of Lords ask to clarify on insanity

Ratio: d must be labouring under a defect of reason, from a disease of the mind and must either not know the nature and quality of the act he was doing or not know he was doing wrong

Question 2

R v Clarke

Answer 2

Facts: absent mindedly took items from a supermarket

Ratio: mere absent mindedness or confusion is not insanity

Question 3

R v Kemp

Answer 3

Facts: suffering form hardening of the arteries which causes blackouts

Ratio: was within the rules insanity as his condition affected his mental reasoning, memory and understanding

Question 4

R v Sullivan

Answer 4

Facts: injured friend during epileptic fit

Ratio: insanity included any organic or functional disease it also applied even where it was temporary

Question 5

R v Hennessy

Answer 5

Facts: diabetic who took a car after failing to take insulin

Ratio: if the disease affects the mind then it is within the definition of insanity

Question 6

R v Burgess

Answer 6

Facts: injured girlfriend while he was asleep

Ratio; if the cause of sleep walking is internal then it is a disease within the definition of insanity

Question 7

R v Quick

Answer 7

Facts: diabetic who failed to eat after taking his insulin

Ratio: this was an external cause(the effect of the drug) and so not insanity

Question 8

R v Windle

Answer 8

Facts: was suffering from a mental disorder and killed his wife who had constantly spoken of committing suicide

Ratio: because he knew what he done was legally wrong, he was not within the m’naghten rules