Jury acquits on automatism

A student who attacked a friend and police officers while high on party drugs has walked free from court after a Palmerston North District Court jury accepted his defence of automatism.

The court heard James Tito, 20, and a friend had taken a BZP party pill. When nothing happened they took another. Tito eventually assaulted his friend because he thought he was the demon coming to take him to hell.

Automatism is a defence used to represent loss of control and a lack of intent when committing a criminal offence. It has been used to acquit people who commit crimes while sleep walking or suffering a hypoglycaemic episode or epileptic fit.