The Vicky Calder Case: A Review

Abstract

Vicky Calder stood trial twice for the attempted murder of her ex-de facto partner, David Lloyd, by means of deliberate poisoning with acrylamide. Lloyd was left blind, paralysed from the neck down and was unable to speak without mechanical assistance after he fell into a coma following a mysterious ailment. Calder's first trial resulted in a hung jury, while the second obtained a notguilty verdict. The case was largely built on circumstantial evidence and subsequently relied heavily on chemical evidence and scientific expertise for the detection of acrylamide exposure in hair and blood samples taken from Lloyd 3 weeks after he fell ill. Forensic experts detected CEC levels that were up to 100 times higher (~500 micrograms of CEC per gram of hair) when compared to individuals that had been exposed to acrylamide and similar intensive care drugs that Lloyd had been exposed to Experts also prepared segmental analysis of Lloyd's hair samples, which showed a peak acrylamide concentration in a band of the hair that corresponded to when Lloyd fell ill. Additionally, Lloyd's blood samples were found to contain 800 times more CEV than a group of healthy normal individuals. Considering these astounding statistics, it is apparent that Calder's acquittal was due to a number of difficulties that the prosecution faced in court. This paper will explore the complications associated with hair analysis and the detection methods used for acrylamide; the significance of the Daubert principle; the difficulties encountered by juries in cases that revolve around complex scientific evidence and the various toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic principles of acrylamide. Recommendations have also been made with regards to dealing with similar cases in the future. ISSN: 2348-9804Lloyd returned to Christchurch on June 28 th . Calder had already returned from Amsterdam and picked him up from the airport in the presence of her sons and her parents. As soon as he was alone with Calder he revealed that he had met another woman and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Six days after leaving Berkley, Lloyd had notified Newstrom that he had left Calder and had already moved into his own flat. Calder did not take the news lightly. Her anger was expressed by writing numerous letters to Lloyd indicating her disapproval of the situation he had put her in, she let down the tyres of Lloyds car, erected resentful signs on his windshield in the university car park and cut up his shirts and trousers that were still in her wardrobe. A few months after the break-up Calder sent Newstrom a letter including photos of Calder and Lloyd. Additionally, Newstrom received an odd letter from an individual who identified herself as 'Salia' , who was unknown to Newstrom, accusing her of being a terrible person to break up Calder and Lloyd's relationship: it was later revealed that Calder had been responsible for this letter, along with a 'love letter' and postcard written to Lloyd from a 'Sarah Mills' [1].