The devastated mother and father of a college scholar who they consider died after his drink was spiked have mentioned their son was ‘murdered’.
Greg Mackie, 18, died in a suspected drink-spiking incident whereas finding out Movie and Media in Edinburgh.
The tragic teenager collapsed in his halls of residence, and a toxicology report discovered he had the equal of 5 ecstasy tablets in his system however no hint of alcohol.
His heartbroken mom Mandy Mackie – now a spiking consciousness campaigner – mentioned she believed her son was ‘murdered’ after a substance was slipped into his delicate drink, however no person has ever been recognized as being accountable.
It comes because the variety of spiking circumstances recorded by Police Scotland has risen quickly over the previous 5 years, in keeping with STV’s Scotland Tonight which is ready to be broadcast this night.
Greg Mackie died in 2017 after being discovered to have the equal of 5 ecstasy tablets in his system
His mother and father consider the 18-year-old had his drink spiked however no person has ever been discovered chargeable for his demise
Colin and Mandy Mackie created the Spike Conscious UK charity in 2017 following the demise of their son, Greg
Since 2023 some 168 spiking circumstances have been reported to police in Scotland, the broadcaster mentioned, however solely 9 of these handed onto the Crown Workplace.
The others had been deemed to be missing in proof.
Scotland Tonight reported that in 2019 simply 44 suspected spikings had been reported, however the quantity elevated to 295 in 2021-22.
Colin and Mandy Mackie, the mother and father of the Moffat teenager who died whereas in Edinburgh in 2017, have instructed of their devastation on the lack of their son.
Mrs Mackie instructed STV: ‘Nobody’s ever been pinpointed for it. It was at all times shoved below the desk as a medication overdose.
‘On my son’s demise certificates, it says a medication overdose – however so far as I am involved, my son was murdered.’
They had been left in disbelief when two law enforcement officials knocked on the door within the early hours to tell them their son was ‘useless from a drug overdose’.
Mr Mackie mentioned: ‘Greg would’ve been 25 yesterday and I will at all times marvel what he can be doing now.
‘Would he be married now? Would he nonetheless be single? I simply do not know – and that is the one factor I will at all times marvel as annually comes.
‘What would he be doing now? The place would he be? We’ll by no means know.’
In Greg’s case police weren’t capable of show who was accountable so no additional motion was taken, the broadcaster reported.
Confusion, hallucinations and immediately performing paranoid are among the many indicators that an individual’s drink has been spiked
Greater than 8,500 reviews of spiking had been made to 39 police forces throughout the UK that responded to a freedom of knowledge request in 2022, up from round 1,650 in 2018
However Mr and Mrs Mackie mentioned they felt police didn’t significantly take into account the likelihood he had been spiked.
Mrs Mackie mentioned: ‘We ended up doing a whole lot of trying into issues that had been happening and discovering out issues ourselves, as a result of nobody was telling us something. We had been simply alone – there was nobody.’
The couple have since arrange a charity, Spike Conscious UK, which helps victims of drink and needle spiking and raises consciousness of the hazards.
Superintendent Joanne McEwan mentioned Police Scotland continued to ‘examine reviews from individuals having been ‘spiked’ both with a needle or of their drink’.
She mentioned: ‘We aren’t at all times capable of decide the the explanation why a perpetrator carries out an assault on this means, however want to reassure you that each report is taken significantly and perpetrators are handled swiftly and robustly.
‘Individuals ought to be capable of exit for an evening out with out worry of being spiked.
‘We’re working with a spread of companions, each domestically and nationally, to make sure licensed premises are secure areas for all, by way of the continued supply of ByStander Consciousness coaching.’
Drinkaware chief govt Karen Tyrell mentioned earlier this yr practically one million individuals are estimated to have had their drinks spiked in Britain in 2023 amid a terrifying surge in offences.
A deliberate clampdown on the crime was outlined within the King’s Speech as a part of a wider plan by the brand new Labour authorities to overtake the Crime and Policing Invoice.
Earlier this yr, the Mackie household instructed MailOnline that some individuals nonetheless noticed spiking as a ‘joke’ to be performed on individuals however that the brand new legislation gave them hope for others.
Mr Mackie mentioned in July: ‘We have spoken to victims who’ve change into withdrawn and not belief individuals or exit, their psychological well being has been affected,
‘I had one younger girl get in touch who mentioned she was on the verge of suicide, and my very own son, Greg, died.
‘If we now begin having prosecutions, it will likely be a deterrent – individuals will see these “Jack the Lad” characters going to jail.
‘Convictions give these pranksters an actual cause to not do it.
‘We’ve not seen the main points but however we now have been calling for this (new legislation) as a charity for a very long time, and now it seems like it’s lastly taking place.’
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