Two more ‘spiking victims’ speak out: Teenager needed CPR and mother-of-two, 42, woke up in the street with a black eye and fractured ribs
- Terrified mother spiked on night out in Newcastle and left with ‘fractured ribs’
- Maria Beckwith, 42, had gone for a drink with a work friend in the City Centre
- This comes as a teenager needed CPR after she was spiked in Lincolnshire
- ‘Girls Night In’ boycotts have been taking place across the UK in the last week
A teenager needed CPR and a terrified mother-of-two was left with a ‘fractured rib’ and ‘severe concussion’ after their drinks were spiked on separate nights out.
Maria Beckwith, 42, from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, went for drinks with a friend after they’d finished work on October 2 and attended the bar Hoochie Coochie in the City Centre when the evening took a frightening turn.
The Mercedes Benz sales worker was enjoying her night and ‘dancing’ with her friend, when just hours later, she was in a different part of Newcastle, without any recollection of how she got there.
Meanwhile, on a separate evening in the Lincolnshire seaside resort of Cleethorpe, Mia Robertson, 18, needed urgent CPR after having her drink spiked during a night out with her friends on Saturday.
Teenager, Mia Robertson, 18, from Grimsby (Pictured Left) needed CPR and Maria Beckwith, 42, (Right) was left with a ‘fractured rib’ and ‘severe concussion’ after their drinks were spiked on separate nights out
Ms Beckwith (Pictured) shows her black eye, as a referral from doctors at Sunderland Royal Hospital ran tests and found that she had suffered a bump to the head, a fractured rib, bruising down her shoulder and a black eye.
The mother-of-two showed her bruised arm (Pictured) and said ‘it was more than just a silly fall and it appears without doubt, my drink was indeed spiked’
This comes as spiking drinks in the UK is on the rise, Ms Beckwith (Pictured) shows off the painful bump on her head, which she cannot recall
There have been nearly 200 reports of drink spiking across the UK in September and October, as detectives investigate claims of seven women being injected while out in Brighton in one week as a man is arrested on suspicion of ‘administering a noxious substance’.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council said there have been 198 reports of spiking in September and October across various parts of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, plus 24 reports of some form of injection.
Piecing the night together, with the help of her friends, the mother- of-two said she must have got off at St James’ Metro station but blacked out and woke up ‘collapsed in a pile’ on the street with ‘fractured ribs’ and a ‘severe concussion’.
Writing about the terrifying ordeal on social media, she said: ‘After spending the last few days trying to piece it all together (I still have zero memory) it appears it was more than just a silly fall and it appears without doubt, my drink was indeed spiked.
‘From chatting to my work mate and having a dance feeling great, to 30 minutes later being on a pile on the ground after collapsing. To somehow ending up in a different part of Newcastle with a man taking money from my purse.
A crowd of people gathered in Manchester to protest in a bid to urge venues to do more to protect customers from having their drink spiked as part of a nationwide movement known as Girls Night In which has seen thousands boycott bars and clubs
‘I still don’t know what happened between my collapse and that point but in that short window of time I’ve suffered a severe concussion, fractured ribs, swollen eye socket, bruised and swollen arm and shoulder and a huge amount of relief it was not any worse.’
Thankfully, a phone call to a friend describing her location meant that she was picked up by them in a taxi and taken home.
Almost 200 drink spiking incident reported over the past two months
Almost 200 drink spiking incidents have been reported to police forces across the UK over the past two months.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said there have been 198 confirmed reports of drink spiking in September and October across various parts of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, plus 24 reports of some form of injection.
On Friday afternoon, the NPCC said there were around 140 confirmed reports of drink spiking, but this figure was revised after more data was received.
It said the number included both men and women, although the majority of cases featured young women.
Alleged offences have taken place at licensed premises and private parties.
The 198 figure is based on data received from 40 police forces, and the NPCC said it is still to receive data from five forces which it expects over the weekend.
London: 58 reports of drink spiking
The NPCC said 58 of the 198 reports of drink spiking were made to the Metropolitan Police.
The NPCC lead for drugs, Deputy Chief Constable Jason Harwin, said: ‘Clearly these reports are very concerning.
‘We are working at pace with forces, law enforcement agencies such as the NCA and other partners including the Home Office and universities to understand the scale of offending, establish any links between the allegations and ultimately bring any identified offenders to justice.’
Nottingham: 32 reports of spiked drinks and 15 of spiking involving needles in recent weeks
Three men have been arrested on suspicion of conspiring to administer poison in connection with a spate of reported drink-spiking incidents involving needles in Nottingham.
Nottinghamshire Police said the men, aged 18 and 19, were arrested after receiving information from a member of the public on Wednesday, following a general appeal for help from a senior officer.
The force said both had been arrested ‘on suspicion of conspiracy to administer poison with intent to injure, annoy or aggrieve’, and placed in police custody.
The arrests are not being linked to any specific allegation of spiking by a needle, or contamination of a drink.
Both men have since been released under investigation, the force said in an update.
Nottinghamshire Police said it will deploy extra officers to ensure people can enjoy a ‘safe night out’.
A 20-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of drug offences and causing or administering a poison or noxious substance following three reports of women being spiked by injection at two nightclubs in the city within the last fortnight.
Police Scotland: Nine reports of spikings, eight of those by injection
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of posts circulating on social media about spiking incidents involving injections in Scotland.
‘Officers are carrying out enquiries, and a small number of reports from the Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow and Aberdeen areas are being investigated.
‘These do not appear to be linked.
‘We take all reports seriously and we would encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim of spiking in any form to contact Police via 101.’
West Midlands Police: One report of a woman being ‘spiked by injection’
A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: ‘We’re aware of posts circulating on social media about drink spiking, particularly those involving injections.
‘At present we’ve had one report where the circumstances appear to match the description of someone being spiked by injection. However, it’s unclear exactly what’s happened and we’re in the process of trying to speak to the woman to gather more information.
‘A separate drink spiking incident involving a Birmingham-based university student is under investigation, and we’ve had a small number of reports from Birmingham city centre over the last few months.’
Merseyside Police: Number of spiking incidents, five of which specifically relate to injection spiking
Detectives said that out of the five reports, three currently remain under investigation, including the incident on October 19.
Superintendent Diane Pownall said: ‘Liverpool is awarded Purple Flag status every year and is one of the safest cities in the UK. We know that people travel from far and wide to enjoy what is on offer here and we want that to continue.
‘In April we launched our proactive policing response, Operation Empower, where dedicated officers are tasked with identifying potential perpetrators who are displaying signs of predatory behaviour and to disrupt those who present a potential risk.
‘Officers are also asked to be aware of anyone who may be vulnerable to ensure any immediate safeguarding concerns are met.’
South Wales Police: ‘A small number’ of reports
After Georgia Latham reported her drink was spiked a spokesman for South Wales Police said: ‘We have received a small number of reports from people who believe this might have happened to them and these are currently under investigation.
‘Our officers are working with licensed premises to alert them to spiking methods and asking them to be extra vigilant at this time.
‘We take all reports seriously and encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim of spiking in any form to contact us.’
But, the next day, the mother-of-two woke up in severe pain and realised she needed hospital treatment.
Doctors at Sunderland Royal Hospital ran tests and found that she had suffered a bump to the head, a fractured rib, bruising down her shoulder and a black eye.
But Ms Beckwith says it was too late for medics to run tests to find out if she had been spiked.
The mother-of-two has spent the last four weeks recovering at home but says she still suffers from constant headaches and dizziness.
‘I would hand on my heart say there is no way I would have had a total blackout like that and been so confused without any kind of interference with my drink,’ she said.
‘You know your body and know how you would normally behave.’
Northumbria Police said that it was ‘unable to substantiate’ Maria’s claims that the tone used by a male officer shortly after she reported the incident was condescending.
A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said: ‘We can confirm that we have received a report from a woman concerned she had been spiked while on a night out in Newcastle on Saturday, October 2.
‘We have identified a number of lines of inquiry and an investigation remains ongoing at this time.’
They added: ‘We proactively police the night-time economy and as part of Operation Cloak, have dedicated officers on patrol to protect those who may be vulnerable and target anyone looking to commit offences.
‘We also work with our partners and licensees to help ensure the city remains one of the safest to enjoy a night out.
‘We would encourage anyone who has concerns or believes they have been a victim of spiking, to get in touch with us.
‘As a force, we will investigate every report we receive and are committed to working with and supporting victims.’
Mia Robertson, 18, from Grimsby in Lincolnshire, needed urgent CPR after having her drink spiked during a night out with her friends on Saturday night.
After entering a venue and having a drink, the teenager and her friends made their way to the smoking area.
She began to feel uneasy and fell into unconsciousness. Her friends struggled to find a pulse as they called paramedics.
The teen had to be resuscitated and spent a day at Diana Princess of Wales hospital in Grimsby recovering.
Mia said: ‘I went to a party on Saturday night and my friends said we were off out in Cleethorpes, which is something I wasn’t expecting.
‘We entered a club and got a drink then headed to the smoking area. Whilst I was stood there, my legs began to go numb and one of my friends had to support me.
‘They sat me down and said my eyes had gone into the back of my head, at which point they carried me out.
‘Apparently I was laid unconscious on the floor and they couldn’t find my pulse so called an ambulance. I was given CPR then rushed to Diana Princess of Wales hospital.
‘I was put on a drip and oxygen and woke up the next morning.
‘It was such a shock when I woke up. My mum and dad weren’t allowed in the room so I was just there on my own.’
The teen was asked if she had ‘used cocaine’ by a nurse, but she explained that she’d ‘never used drugs’ in her life.
She added: ‘I laid there feeling really numb, everything ached, but at the same time I felt like my body wasn’t there.
‘It was so scary that I could’ve lost everything and not even had the chance to say bye to my mum.
‘The whole thing was horrible.’
The incident has terrified her and she said she is scared to go out in Cleethorpes again.
There has been a huge increase of drinks being spiked in the past month and the teenager feels something more needs to be done to prevent it from happening to others.
She said: ‘This topic seems to get blind sided at times, but it isn’t normal and change needs to happen.’
Seven women say they have been injected on nights out in two Sussex resorts in just seven days. Six revellers told police they were injected while out in Brighton city centre with another woman saying she was spiked during a night out in Eastbourne.
Last week, women across the UK took a stand and boycotted bars and nightclubs on October 27 to demand venues to do more to protect revellers from spiking.
The ‘Girls Night In’ movement is taking place in several cities for the next two weeks amid reports that young women were being spiked at nightclubsamid reports that young women were being spiked at nightclubs. Pryzm on the seafront in Brighton and in Nottingham showed its support for students by calling off its weekly Wednesday clubnight.
It comes as a student, 22, revealed he was robbed on a night out after being targeted at Popworld in Derby and a man, 29, was charged by Manchester Police with spiking and raping a woman in a bar.
On Monday, police investigating the needle and drink spiking incidents in Sussex said they had arrested a third man in connection with the attacks.
The 18-year-old from Brighton is one of three men who have now been arrested on suspicion of spiking by injection and in drinks during nights out amid a nationwide spiking ‘epidemic’ that has prompted backlash from students and nightclubs.
A 28-year-old man from Hove was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of administering poison with intent to injure, and a 19-year-old man from Brighton was arrested on Monday morning on suspicion of the same offence.
Today a spokesman for Sussex Police said: ‘An 18-year-old man from Brighton was taken into custody this afternoon as part of the investigation into drink spiking in the city.’
What do the experts say on reports of injection spiking?
Is it possible?
Yes – and there are credible reports where people have woken up with needle marks having been spiked.
But the likelihood of it being a widespread phenomena is ‘deeply improbable’, according to one medical consultant.
David Caldicott, an emergency medicine consultant and founder of drug testing project WEDINOS, told VICE News: ‘The technical and medical knowledge required to perform this would make this deeply improbable.
‘It’s really hard to stick a needle in someone without them noticing, especially if you have to keep the needle in there for long enough, maybe 20 seconds, to inject enough drugs to cause this.’
Could someone not give the injection really fast?
Yes – but they’d need a very powerful drug to do so discreetly, experts say.
GHB is one of the most well-known ‘date rape’ drug and is also self-administered in small doses by people recreationally.
But Guy Jones, senior scientist at drugs charity the Loop, told VICE it would be a ‘poor candidate’ for injection because of the large amounts of fluid needed.
‘Therefore (it would require) a thick, painful needle. This means that the substance involved would be something that would be highly detectable for several days in a toxicology screening,’ he said.
Adam Winstock, director of the Global Drug Survey, added: ‘There are very few easily accessible drugs / medicines that could be given intramuscular in a small enough volume that people would not notice and the effects would take some time to come on.
‘What you see in the movies is not reality. People need to keep their drinks close to them, avoid taking them from strangers and keep an eye out for their mates.’
Can drugs be administered to any part of the body?
Yes – but some parts are more effective than others
Mr Jones told VICE: ‘Where drugs can be injected non-intravenously, there are specific injection sites that do not work well.
‘The back is one of these unsuitable sites due to the low fat-muscle content, and high concentration of pain receptors.’
What about drink spiking?
While injection spiking is still possible, drink spiking is a lot more common.
Incidents of drink spiking in the UK increased by 108 per cent between 2015 and 2018, with 179 incidents taking place in 2017 alone.
This is only the officially recorded numbers – and is likely to be much higher as it is common for people not to report it to police.
Charity Drinkaware advise: ‘Don’t accept a drink from someone you don’t know and if they’re available, use drink stoppers, which can be purchased online, for the top of your bottle.’
Rohypnol (or Roofie) and Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) are the most commonly known ‘date-rape’ drugs.
Recreational drugs like Ecstasy, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), Ketamine and other ‘party-drugs’ are sometimes used to spike alcoholic drinks.
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