Murder Attempt Antidepressant Withdrawal 08/05/2004 Pennsylvania Man Acquitted of Attempted Homicide
Summary:
he 3rd from the last paragraph states: "Walsh said that withdrawal from the medication disrupted his sleeping patterns, gave him dry eyes and itchy skin, caused periods of mania and made him look "spaced out, like Charles Manson."
http://www.dailylocal.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=11614572&BRD=1671&PAG=461&dept_id=17782&rfi=6
Man acquitted of attempted homicide
By ADAM CIRUCCI , Staff Writer 05/08/2004
WEST CHESTER --Thomas Allan Walsh did not try to kill his ex-wife, Diana, when he attacked her with a hammer last October, a Chester County jury said Friday.
After more than five hours of deliberation, Walsh, 45, of Sadsbury, was acquitted of attempted homicide, but convicted on multiple counts of aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, making terroristic threats, criminal mischief and stalking.
He shook his head as the verdict was read.
Walsh testified Thursday that the incident occurred in a psychotic rage caused by withdrawal from antidepressants that had previously been administered to him in prison.
He was released on Oct. 9 after serving more than a year for stalking his ex-wife.
Less than a week later, Walsh exploded when Diana told him that she had contacted his probation officer because he had violated a protection from abuse order.
"There is no way I can sit here and say that I am innocent of what happened with my wife," Walsh said. "But this drug caused this violent insanity that just took over."
Walsh shattered all of the windows of his ex-wife?s car, including the sunroof.
According to medical records, the attack left Diana with a fractured rib, a chipped shoulder, several stitches and a black eye.
Walsh said that withdrawal from the medication disrupted his sleeping patterns, gave him dry eyes and itchy skin, caused periods of mania and made him look "spaced out, like Charles Manson."
He said that both he and his ex-wife were victims of the drug.
Walsh said that he lost so much blood from injuries sustained in the incident that doctors planned to give him a blood transfusion.
There was no evidence that he suffered serious injury in the attack.
Assistant District Attorney Megan Stumpf said Walsh?s case amounted to little more than hearsay, speculation and circumstantial evidence.
She said that he was only trying to dodge responsibility for the crime.
Daily Local News 2004