title: Alleged shoplifters and psychiatric outpatients: drugs, absent-mindedness and mental state compared.
abstract: Thirteen shoplifters were found to fit into a new classification based on mens rea. When compared to an age and sex matched control group of new psychiatric outpatients there were no significant differences in psychiatric morbidity, drug impaired arousal, absent-mindedness and course of illness. There was evidence that absent-mindedness may be responsible for some alleged offences and that this may occur repeatedly.
authors.affiliation: St Luke's Hospital, Huddersfield, Yorks.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mortimer
mesh_terms: D000647:Amnesia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D000091402:Prohibitins; D013800:Theft / Q000523:psychology*