Hallucinogenic drug found in ill toddler

Press, 17 May 1984, Page 17

Hallucinogenic drug found in ill toddler

PA Auckland Heavy doses of an hallucinogenic drug were found in samples taken from a toddler admitted to Auckland Hospital’s critical care unit The boy, aged 2Vz, went into a deep coma, then suffered spasms, and had to be sedated for four days, the High Court at Auckland was has been told. Before the Court is the boy’s father, Bruce Douglas Cameron, aged 32, who is accused of manufacturing

the drug and possessing the drug last October. Cameron has pleaded not guilty to both charges. The Crown prosecutor, Mr Peter Kaye, told the jury they would hear about the tragic accident which occurred to Cameron’s child, Joey Fowden. Last October, Joey was living with his mother and was taken to visit Cameron regularly. Mr Kaye said that on October 3 the child and his mother visited Cameron at

his address and as they entered the property Joey disappeared for a few seconds. He then returned and appeared to “faint on the spot.”

Mr Kaye told the jury that the child vomited, had a glazed look, and had a white sticky substance round his mouth. He was rushed to Auckland Hospital and on the journey the accused made some comment that the child must have taken chloroform.

In hospital the child went into a deep coma and a tube was passed into his stomach to remove the contents which were analysed. The

substance, also found in his blood and urine, was phencyclidine in heavy doses. Joey became unconscious and when he woke up suffered a period of spasms and had to be sedated for four days before being transferred to Princess Mary Children’s Hospital.

Detectives were called in and took possession of Cameron’s rental car. Beneath the driver’s seat they found about $3OOO. A bank statement in the glove-box showed a balance of more than $16,000 and a carton in the boot had papers inside, including chemical formulae.

Mr Kaye said that D.S.I.R. scientists followed a recipe from the accused’s belongings for the manufacture of the drug and were able to make the drug phencyclidine.