West London, England: On August 25, 2021, Leoaai Elghareeb walked down Fulham Palace Road carrying a bucket with syringes filled with his own blood and entered three stores. Inside the stores, he randomly selected food items including an apple, bacon, buttermilk and chicken, and injected them.
In Isleworth Crown Court on Thursday, May 5, Elghareeb, 37, was found not guilty by reason of insanity to three counts of contaminating goods and two counts of assault.
According to the Mirror, his barrister agreed that Elghareeb had committed the offenses, but claimed that he was insane at the time. Dr. Frank Farnham, a consultant forensic psychiatrist agreed, and the jury was convinced.
Farnham told the court that Elghareeb suffered from a "severe disease of the mind resulting in a loss of a sense of realty." He went on to explain that Elghareeb heard voices, one believed to be Boris Johnson and another that of a former coworker, commanding him to do things by controlling his dreams and parts of his body.
"These are often encountered by issues of schizophrenia."
Farnham explained that Elghareeb had endured periods of homelessness after coming out as gay to his family and suffered unspecified psychological trauma.
In 2020 Elghareeb had attempted suicide in order to silence the voices which he believed were the result of implants placed by government spies.
The court additionally heard that Elghareeb had worked at 'Magic Circle' law firms before he began to abuse crystal meth.
Elghareeb has been remanded in custody until June 9 at which time two psychiatrist reports should be reviewed.
Judge Alastair Hammerton requested the reports before he passes sentence.
Hammerton told the court "there still needs to be a sentencing of the defendant" despite ruling that he was not guilty by reason of insanity. "The options are limited, but they will take time to explore. I cannot give a date when I ultimately can give a sentence on this case."