Former Biglaw Attorney Accused Of Injecting Blood Into Groceries Found Not Guilty By Insanity

An expert testified he was suffering from psychosis at the time.

Medical syringe with red liquid, isolated on whiteLast summer, an attorney who previously worked at a trio of Biglaw firms — Allen & Overy, Herbert Smith Freehills, and Milbank — and had since opened his own legal consultancy business was arrested and charged with contaminating or interfering with goods and assault after allegedly injecting a syringe of blood into various food items at three different supermarkets in London.

In the bizarre incident, Leoaai Elghareeb, 37, was accused of bringing a bucket full of syringes filled with his blood into three supermarkets. Video surveillance caught him injecting food with the blood. Elghareeb also threw the syringes and eggs at customers and staff at the stores. In the cleanup of the incident, 21 blood-filled syringes were found, and food totaling ~£467,000 was thrown out.

Now a jury at Isleworth Crown Court has found him not guilty by reason of insanity. The prosecution did not dispute the diagnosis, as reported by Legal Cheek:

Dr Bradley Hillier, a consultant psychiatrist, gave evidence that Elghareeb was suffering from psychosis when he went on his supermarket rampage.

Jurors heard Elghareeb had strong suicidal episodes and tried to hang himself, having suffered mental health problems over the previous 12 years. He believed he was being controlled by government spies and likened his experience to the character played by Jim Carrey in The Truman Show, who lived in a world that was not real.

The solicitor, who ran a legal consultancy business, began to abuse crystal meth as part of his “work hard and play hard lifestyle”, the court heard.

In an earlier trial, a jury was discharged when they could not reach a verdict.


Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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