A man that allegedly spiked a woman’s drink at a Newtown pub last Friday has faced court this week on a charge of administer poison, and been released on strict conditional bail.
A 27-year-old woman with friends at the Town Hall Hotel returned from the bathroom and drank her drink, shortly before collapsing with apparent breathing difficulties.
A NSW Ambulance spokesman later reported she was given CPR before paramedics arrived, but paramedics determined she was not in cardiac arrest and she was transported to hospital in a stable condition. According to some reports, the woman may have suffered a broken sternum as a result of the CPR.
Police allege 28-year-old Thomas Elliott, who was part of the group, was seen on CCTV leaning over her drink while she was absent.
He is thought to have spiked the drink with GHB*, which was later found in her system.
Following police investigation, Elliott was arrested on Tuesday at his workplace. He appeared before Central Local Court on Wednesday via A-V link, where he applied for bail.
His defence lawyer explained Elliot was friends with the victim, and argued he had no motive for the offence, and no prior criminal history.
It was suggested the drug could have been slipped into the woman’s drink by somebody else, with another of Elliot’s companions offering he had not seen his friend touch the drink, but that “two other creepy guys” had been hanging around where they were seated.
Also tendered were text messages reportedly from the victim to a mutual friend, citing the police investigation of Elliott and that she thought “they may be wrong”.
Appearing before Magistrate Robert Williams, Elliott faced a charge of ‘administer poison etc intend injure/cause distress/pain’, with likelihood a second charge will be laid for drink-spiking.
Williams granted the defendant strict conditional bail, requiring him to report to police five days a week, not leave the State, not contact anyone involved, and not enter a licensed premise.
Th matter will see mention again 11 December, when a plea must be entered.
*Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a depressant and an illicit drug in Australia, and particularly dangerous when mixed with other depressants, such as alcohol. It typically comes in liquid form, often colourless and odourless, making it easy to add to a drink. The effects are felt within 15 minutes, producing some feelings of euphoria and sociability, and increased libido, but the small difference in dosage between a desired effect and overdose makes it hazardous. Victims may not be able to resist or recall a sexual assault. GHB is often known as ‘liquid ecstasy’, but it is a completely different chemical compound. See Better Health Victoria for more information.
