Paragraphs 7 through 13 read: "He became dependent on anti-depressant medication."

"Romer told the court he had never been warned not to take alcohol with drugs, as he had done on the day of the incident."

"Romer said he could only remember pulling away from a friend, with whom he had a beer, before allegedly going on the shooting spree."

“'To me it was black after that and I recall seeing a terrible- looking thing coming at me. Next, I remember handcuffs hurting me terribly'.”

"A pharmacology lecturer at Rhodes University, Prof Santy Daya, who was called to testify on the effects of the medication Romer had been taking, said the combination of the drugs was 'a recipe for disaster'."

"Among the anti-depressant drugs Romer was taking were Effexor , Epilem and Stilnox."

"Daya said the side effects of Effexor included reduced appetite, nausea and hallucination. One can have suicidal thoughts and intrusive thoughts of wanting to harm another person or persons.”

http://www.weekendpost.co.za/article.aspx?id=417054

Driver‘s deadly shooting spree ‘drug-induced‘

2009/04/30
Nomahlubi Sonjica HERALD REPORTER sonjican@avusa.co.za

A MAN accused of killing one person and injuring two others in a shooting spree two years ago, told the Port Elizabeth High Court yesterday that since receiving treatment he felt like a human being again.

“I can think clearly and I feel my life is worth living,” said Steven Romer, 51.

Romer, a former East London car salesman, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder and two counts of attempted murder, and claimed not to recall the events of October 17, 2007, when he allegedly killed Gavin du Mont, 41, and wounded Karen Heuer, 27, and Ernest Janse, 56, while driving around the Bay.

Romer said he had become helpless after he divorced his wife, whom he said he had found with another man.

“I became depressed. I sold my firearm collection, all my riding stuff and I gave away my fishing equipment.

“I changed completely.”

He became dependent on anti-depressant medication.

Romer told the court he had never been warned not to take alcohol with drugs, as he had done on the day of the incident.

Romer said he could only remember pulling away from a friend, with whom he had a beer, before allegedly going on the shooting spree.

“To me it was black after that and I recall seeing a terrible- looking thing coming at me. Next, I remember handcuffs hurting me terribly.”

A pharmacology lecturer at Rhodes University, Prof Santy Daya, who was called to testify on the effects of the medication Romer had been taking, said the combination of the drugs was “a recipe for disaster”.

Among the anti-depressant drugs Romer was taking were Effexo, Epilem and Stilnox.

Daya said the side effects of Effexo included reduced appetite, nausea and hallucination. One can have suicidal thoughts and intrusive thoughts of wanting to harm another person or persons.”

He said Epilem was used to treat epilepsy and as a mood stabiliser.

It also caused drowsiness.

“Stilnox is a sedative and hypnotic drug. It induces sleep.”

Romer had taken Stilnox hours before he allegedly committed the offences.

He could not remember how many tablets he had taken.

The case resumes today.