Defence opens in case of poisoned toddler

Press, 17 May 1984, Page 8

Defence opens in case of poisoned toddler

PA Auckland A man accused of manufacturing the narcotic phencyclidine told the High Court at Auckland yesterday that another man using his laboratory had left the substance which poisoned his young son. Bruce Douglas Cameron, aged 32, of Sandringham, was giving evidence in his own defence. He has pleaded not guilty

to charges of manufacturing the hallucinogenic drug, also known as PCP, and possessing the drug in October. Evidence was given that other people had been using Cameron’s laboratory to manufacture drugs. Called by his counsel, Mr Barry Hart, Cameron said that, on October 3, his son, Joey, aged 2%, and Joey’s mother, a former girlfriend, had visited his Royal Terrace address in Sandringham.

He said Joey had started

to make noises, and he had noticed the sweet, sickly smell of chloroform. His son had started to cry and Cameron said he thought the boy had swallowed a solvent. He took him to Auckland Hospital.

Cameron said he had not left any accessible chloroform at his house, and he had telephoned a German man named Mike from the hospital. He knew this man had been using the laboratory, he said.

He claimed Mike told him he had left a substance called “Ingletarb,” which he discovered meant “Angel dust.” Cameron said he told a doctor it was a similar compound to one his son had swallowed.

In reply to Mr Hart, Cameron said that before the conversation with Mike he had no idea his son had swallowed such a substance. Earlier in his opening ad-

dress for the defence, Mr Hart said it had been Cameron’s activities as a police informer since 1978 which had led to his present plight. Mr Hart said that, as a result of negotiations with Detective Evan Wheeler, Cameron had allowed his chemical laboratory to be used by a criminal element so that information could be fed to the police. Cameron refuted any suggestion that he had been involved in manufacturing phencyclidine, said Mr Hart.

Cameron told the Court he had been interested in chemistry and electronics since leaving school, but had no formal qualifications. He said he had taught himself chemistry over the last 20 years.

The trial continues today with cross-examination of Cameron by Crown counsel, Mr Peter Kaye.

Earlier report, page 17