In this case, the Court of Appeal confirmed the common law defence of self-defence codified in s.76 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 and its position in relation to voluntary intoxication. The defendant had attacked the victim with a metal tyre lever, convinced that he was a terrorist. The victim was in fact an electrician whose van had broken down. The defendant had stopped on a Sunday afternoon to help, but seeing lengths of wire and electrical devices in the van had formed the opinion he had stumbled upon a terrorist plot. This was later discovered not to be the case as the victim had indeed simply broken down.
Against a charge of attempted murder, the defendant pleaded selfdefence. At the trial the prosecution argued the defendant was suffering a drug-infused psychosis and from a drug or alcohol-induced psychotic disorder at the time of the offence. He admitted that he had abused drugs and alcohol from an early age and had been heavily drinking the 2 days before and knew this could lead to paranoia.
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