Her victim, who has pre-existing medical conditions, was left with diarrhoea for 36 hours
A man had diarrhoea for 36 hours as well as ‘urinary incontinence’ after a woman poured half a bottle of laxative into his drink as a prank. Kayleigh Higgins poured lactulose into the fizzy drink which was then consumed by the unsuspecting victim.
Canterbury Crown Court had heard that when her trick came to light, the man suffered a panic attack and tried to make himself sick, but was unable to.
Higgins, 38, avoided prison and then took to Facebook to say: “I am a free motherf***er, no prison for me.” She added: “I am so loving life now, had a good outcome in court today lols.”
Higgins was among a number of people at a house in Dover on May 31 last year when she spiked the drinks bottle. A witness described how, having asked where the victim had left his drink, Higgins had poured “a lot of liquid” into the Coke.
When the man returned from a shopping trip and drank from the bottle “panic” set in “because everyone realised what the defendant had done”, said prosecutor Jordan Santos-Sindes. “She was questioned about what she had done and how much she had put into the bottle,” he told Canterbury Crown Court. “She responded it was only a little bit.”
It was discovered that a lactulose bottle stored in a cupboard had been opened and “over half” its contents were missing, the barrister added. “The victim tried to make himself sick but was unable to do so,” Mr Santos-Sindes said. “He had a panic attack because of a pre-existing kidney condition and suffered severe diarrhoea for the next day and a half.”
The court heard the man also had urinary incontinence as a result. Higgins, of Tennyson Avenue, Canterbury, was arrested and, when interviewed, told police it was a joke she had carried out as “a dare”.
But at the suggestion others had been involved – which was disputed by those she named – Judge Simon Taylor KC said: “It doesn’t matter whether she was dared or not. It was spectacularly stupid.”
Mr Santos-Sindes said Higgins, who has six convictions for 10 offences, may not have been aware of his state of health as she had not met him before that day. She pleaded guilty to an offence of administering a poison or noxious substance with intent to injure.
Judge Taylor said punishment could be met by way of a 12-month community order and 25 rehabilitation activity requirements. He told Higgins: “I have to have a degree of perspective. This case is serious because somebody was caused anxiety, discomfort and worry. But in the context of Canterbury Crown Court cases, it is at the lower end.”
He added: “It was you who made the decision to embark on this not funny joke that caused pain and discomfort to someone who did not deserve to experience pain and discomfort.”
Higgins, whose Facebook profile lists her as a digital creator but was said in court to be on benefits, was also ordered to pay her victim £500 compensation. She initially shook her head in the dock when Judge Taylor had asked whether she could pay the sum at a rate of more than £50 a month.
But she agreed to £75 following brief discussions with her barrister, Nathan Fitzpatrick. Higgins also vowed, when warned of the consequences of breaching her community order, that she would not reoffend.
“It’s not going to happen,” she told the judge. “I ain’t coming back.”
