20/03/2007

Cannabis addict guilty of murdering teenagers

A 20-year-old man addicted to cannabis has been jailed for 20 years after being found guilty of murdering two teenage friends.

Thomas Palmer was 18 when he stabbed Steven Bayliss, 16, and Nuttawut Moechao, 14, to death in a lane near Wokingham in September 2005.

Reading Crown Court heard how Palmer, from Blagrove Drive in Wokingham, repeatedly used cannabis and was obsessed with watching horror movies.

The jury was told that he had become obsessed with one film - about a serial killer who filmed himself stabbing his victims - before the killings.

Medical experts for the defence said that Palmer was in the developing stages of schizophrenia.

He had denied two counts of murder, but had admitted to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

(KMcA/SP)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

11 August 2014
Cannabis Factory Uncovered In Cardiff Hospital
Police in Cardiff searching for a missing person have uncovered a cannabis farm in a disused ward of a psychiatric hospital. It is understood that around 30 cannabis plants were uncovered by officers during a search at Whitchurch Hospital in Cardiff. News of the cannabis farm was revealed in a report by the BBC.
12 September 2012
Boom In Cannabis Trade Leading To Increase In Gang Violence
A senior police officer has warned of an upsurge in shootings and gang-related violence related to a ‘boom’ in the cannabis trade.
28 August 2012
Cannabis Use In Teens Used To Link Drop In IQ
New research finds that persistent cannabis use during adolescence can cause lasting harm to a person's intelligence, attention and memory.
02 October 2014
Teen Obsessed With Dexter Jailed For Life For Murdering Girlfriend
A 17-year-old boy who murdered a school girl at a property in Surrey has been sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison. Steven Miles, who was 16 at the time of the offence, previously pleaded guilty to the gruesome murder of Elizabeth Thomas, 17, on 24th January.
02 March 2011
Cannabis Use Precedes The Onset Of Psychotic Symptoms In Young People 


Cannabis use during adolescence and young adulthood increases the risk of psychotic symptoms, while continued cannabis use may increase the risk for psychotic disorder in later life, concludes a new study published on bmj.com.