a unique case with a unique set of circumstances
By victorywp
@victorywp (3524)
United States
November 25, 2009 10:53pm CST
59-year-old brian thomas & his wife took a holiday in their camper van. they stopped for the night in a car park when they were disturbed by a rowdy crowd of young people in screeching cars. later in the night, he called the police to make a report saying that he was dreaming that intruders (those boy racers) were in the van & that he attacked one of the intruders (only to realize that the intruder was his own wife).
he admitted killing his wife in their camper van, but blamed his rare sleep disorder. he was released by the judge saying that he bore no responsibility for the killing & described him as a decent man & a devoted husband.
can you imagine a loving husband kill his wife of 40 years while asleep?
what's your view over this unque & unusual case?
source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8370237.stm
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11 people like this
23 responses
@tamarafireheart (15384)
•
26 Nov 09
Hi victorywp,
That is the saddest case I have come across, I cannot imagine how this man is feeling after all this, he will never be able to live with himself in peace, but I think people should sleep in sperate beds to get a good night sleep as I am thinking of getting a single bed for my hubby and stick him in his computer as he complains that I distub him because I twitches in bed.
Tamara
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
29 Nov 09
i believe that they sleep in separate beds too. but maybe this was an exceptional case since they are out & sleep in their camper van. ![](/Content/images/emotes/sad.gif)
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@musicman6 (2407)
• United States
30 Nov 09
I think he should still be punished, if he did it out of his mind, then he should be in an institution for people out of their mind!
When people hear of this , they are going to try killing , and use this as an excuse to get out of punishment!
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@musicman6 (2407)
• United States
30 Nov 09
For this case, it would be debatable to determine this case, I would imagine, but it would catch others that try to use this escape!
2 people like this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
30 Nov 09
for case like this, do you think that a lie detector test would be helpful to judge if someone is using this type of sickness as an excuse to get out of punishment? ![](/Content/images/emotes/thumbup.gif)
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@celticeagle (164045)
• Boise, Idaho
28 Nov 09
WOW! He actually got off and the judge was nice to him. I haven't heard of that before. Usually they given the longest sintence and made to look like lunatics. Even put in mental hospitals for life sometimes. It is a bizarre case and I feel for the guy. He must be devistated at what happened. How simply awful to have such a problem.
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@celticeagle (164045)
• Boise, Idaho
30 Nov 09
Wow! I am glad I am not the judge or the rest of them!
2 people like this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
29 Nov 09
yes, it is really awful to hear such a problem. the judge is really nice to him, maybe because of his friends & relatives who stood on his behalf. ![](/Content/images/emotes/happy.gif)
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@corrycrystal (1775)
• Malaysia
29 Nov 09
That was so tragic
. I have been thinking about whether he was on medication that made him hallucinating, but it was mentioned that he didn't take any medication for the reason as stated in the news.
There will be many theories when one is reading such news like this. Was this the first time he ever tried to kill his wife because of some dreams or has happened before? Did he find out that his wife was having an affair because of him being 'impotent' and took advantage of his rare sleeping disorder to cover up his motive??
I don't know what to believe, but 40 years of marriage was sure a proof of their love and I hope this man was telling the truth and RIP to his wife. ![](/Content/images/emotes/sad.gif)
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2 people like this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
30 Nov 09
he should be taking a lie detector test to make sure that he did not take advantage of his rare sleeping disorder to cover up his motive.
as testified by his friends & relatives, he is a good man. i start to believe that he did not have the motive to kill his wife. ![](/Content/images/emotes/happy.gif)
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@artistry (4151)
• United States
27 Nov 09
..Hi victorywp, This is strange. I have heard of people sleepwalking and doing things that were odd, not sure that I have heard of anyone killing a person. There was a medication that made people behave strangely while asleep that
I also heard about on the news. What I would like to know is, did the man take a lie detector test and did he pass it if he did take it? I don't feel that his word alone should have been accepted as proof that he thought he was fending off intruders. He could be as the judge said a decent man, etc., but people can get involved in things where a wife or husband could not be what they want at the present time. I may be a cynic, but I would also like to know it he gets married again any time soon? Take it easy.
2 people like this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
29 Nov 09
hi artistry! that's a good point there. i have not think of taking a lie detector test. yes, i totally agree that this would be helpful enough rather than just taking his word alone as proof. ![](/Content/images/emotes/thumbup.gif)
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@sudiptacallingu (10879)
• India
26 Nov 09
I really don’t know what to say…fact is really stranger than fiction. This is the first time I’ve heard of any such mental illness called automatism. Really scary if you know somebody with this disorder…no guarantee what that perfectly normal person would do! Anyway, justice has indeed prevailed…the gentleman will anyway have to carry the burden of guilt in him forever (more so, she was his childhood sweetheart)…it would have been worse if he had to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
2 people like this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
26 Nov 09
yeah, according to their friends & relatives, he is a loving husband. i believe that his sad feeling is much greater than any other person. as you said, he has the guilt in him for the rest of his life. ![](/Content/images/emotes/sad.gif)
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@victorywp (3524)
• United States
29 Nov 09
yes, the information from the doctor is true. he has this sickness for years but he stopped taking medicine. ![](/Content/images/emotes/sad.gif)
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@drannhh (15219)
• United States
26 Nov 09
I can imagine him doing it, but I cannot imagine him being innocent. There has been almost an epidemic of this kind of case lately, almost always with a man killing a wife or girlfriend. In one case it was a woman who killed her mother. Personally, I don't think the motive should make a bit of difference. If you kill someone you cannot bring them back to life, so you are responsible. In my view that applies to drunk drivers, sleep-walkers, criminals of passion or anybody else. If it wasn't self-defense then it is still murder in my opinion. So if this man really were innocent, how could he live with himself?
2 people like this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
26 Nov 09
hi drannhh! where is the avatar of your gullible painted friend?
yeah i agree with you, i cannot imagine him being innocent. ![](/Content/images/emotes/glare.gif)
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@cream97 (29087)
• United States
12 Aug 10
Hi, victorywp. This is very sad to hear about.
If they let him off the hook for killing his own wife, the judge should have granted a prison sentence to him for killing his own wife. He needs to get some mental help. Letting him walk free, does not excuse the fact that he killed his own wife of over 40 years.![](/Content/images/emotes/sad.gif)
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1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
15 Aug 10
yeah, it's definitely a sad thing to hear about. eventhough he did not kill his wife on purpose, but as you said, the judge should have granted a prison sentence to him for the crime of killing. ![](/Content/images/emotes/ninja.gif)
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@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
26 Nov 09
This is an unusual case and if this man is telling the truth, certainly justice has prevailed and his punishment will be that he has to live with what he’s done for the rest of his life and I know if it were me I would go insane with grief and guilt! If he is guilty he is a murderer and a liar who deserves to be in prison for a very long time and for the key to be preferably thrown away! I guess only he and his wife know the truth and she is no longer here.
2 people like this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
26 Nov 09
that's true, paula27661! there's no witness & only both of them know the truth. since she is no longer here, whatever he said will be taken as the truth. ![](/Content/images/emotes/rolleyes.gif)
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@maygodblessu44 (7336)
• India
23 Dec 09
Hello my friend victorywp Ji,
Well,I do not think and can never imagine even in my dreams that my hubby will ever do that. I suppose it all happened in his dream and Judge allowed him to walk away. Wishing you a very happy Chrismas and New Year-2010.
May God bless You and have a great time.
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@maygodblessu44 (7336)
• India
24 Dec 09
Hello my friend victorywp Ji,
Yes my friend, you are very much right that sleeping dis-order may endanger self and as well other's life as it happened in this case. Wife should have sensed earlier and should have shouted for help, might have run away from sleep. Then,we Hindus, think, everything is in hands of GOD.
May God bless You and have a great time.![](/Content/images/emotes/thumbup.gif)
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1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
24 Dec 09
yes, you are right!
and we Christians also think that everything is in the hands of God. ![](/Content/images/emotes/happy.gif)
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1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
23 Dec 09
well, it happens but not on everyone. the chances is very low, maybe one in a zillion.
but just be careful if you know someone who has this type of sickness (sleeping disorder).
merry christmas & happy new year 2010 to you too!
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@scififan43 (2434)
• United States
6 Jan 10
This sounds like an intersting case. I think it could happen if the spose realy wanted to get rid of the other. but then agian who knows what is realy going on.
1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
7 Jan 10
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@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
26 Nov 09
I have heard of other stories like this and I just can't believe that someone can actually kill someone while "dreaming". That he is not aware of what he is doing. Is it something like sleep walking where you don't even know you are up and around. The only thing with this story that makes me think its legit is the fact they have been married for so many years. I bet if he was alot younger there would have been a bigger investigation.
2 people like this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
26 Nov 09
yeah, i agree with you on this! if they are newly wed couple, there would have been a bigger investigation.
since they have been married for 40 years, also according to their friends & relatives, they are really loving couple, i believe that he did not kill his wife intentionally. ![](/Content/images/emotes/thumbup.gif)
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@victorywp (3524)
• United States
26 Nov 09
he has this sickness but he stopped taking his medicine. so it ended tragically. ![](/Content/images/emotes/sad.gif)
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@AmbiePam (88834)
• United States
27 Nov 09
If he really didn't mean to do it, and had a sleeping disorder, that poor guy is going to spend a lot of money on therapy bills. If I accidentally killed my spouse, or even a family member, I'd be so distraught that they would probably have to sedate me.
1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
29 Nov 09
hi AmbiePam! yeah, that poor husband should spend on therapy bills after this incident. ![](/Content/images/emotes/wink.gif)
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@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
26 Nov 09
hi victorywp I have trouble believing that even in this odd state he would do something supposedly against all his morals unless in his heart of hearts the thought had already been there and he acted on it unknowing he did it. I mean they say under hypnosis you cannot be made to do something you are morally against, that would be acting against your will and you could not be forced to so .I think he should have been given a light prison sentence as least say five to ten,out on good behavior.
I still think he wanted to do this or he would not have been able to do it.![](/Content/images/emotes/angry.gif)
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@victorywp (3524)
• United States
29 Nov 09
maybe in reality he would do this (only towards the enemy) but not on his friends or family. but since he thought that his wife is the enemy, so he killed his wife. ![](/Content/images/emotes/sad.gif)
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@bjcyrix (6901)
• Philippines
9 Dec 09
Im on the fence about this issue. I know that the court can let a person charged off the hook if its proven that his pleads for not guilty on the grounds of insanity are true. One cannot be really guilty of a crime that he committed if he doesnt have the rationality of even being able to experience guilt. It's just a part of how his brain is wired. However, in this case I think the family and friends may have forgotten that the wife was killed. The article just stressed on the matter that the person charged was a really good man while he's awake. Im gonna have to partly agree that the man is not guilty in terms of feelings, rationality and of the law, but for me, he is absolutely guilty of the crime. He did it but his mind just didnt know what his body was doing.
Whichever it is, at the end of the day, the man has to live with the fact that he killed his wife, and he didnt even know he did it.![](/Content/images/emotes/doh.gif)
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1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
10 Dec 09
that's true, bjcyrix. he is absolutely guilty of the crime if not in terms of feelings, rationality, & the law. ![](/Content/images/emotes/wink.gif)
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@CRIVAS (1815)
• Canada
26 Nov 09
Wow okay I have to say that this is definately not something that you hear every day. If what this man is saying is true, then he is going to be living with this guilt for the rest of his life, I can't imagion what he must be going through. I think that this is definately one of the strangest things that I have ever heard in my life, makes me wonder if I should continue sleeping with my husband. Who knows what this poor man's wife was thinking when it happened. What a terrible thing to happen, and so close to the holidays too. WOW.
1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
29 Nov 09
of course you should continue to sleep with your husband. the husband already has this sleeping disorder problem before ths happened. so if your husband does not have this sickness, then it's not a problem. also, i believe this case happens one in a zillion. ![](/Content/images/emotes/happy.gif)
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