判决理由
In exceptional circumstances, grossly negligent medical treatment can break the chain of causation where the original wound has substantially healed and the treatment is 'palpably wrong'.
事实
Jordan stabbed a man. The wound was healing, but doctors administered a drug to which the victim was known to be allergic and gave excessive intravenous fluids. The victim died.
判决摘要
The murder conviction was quashed. The medical treatment was 'palpably wrong' — sufficient to break the chain of causation.
关键引述
"Death resulted from the introduction of terramycin after the deceased had shown he was intolerant of it. The treatment was palpably wrong."
— Hallett J
后续处理
Narrowly confined
Described as a 'very exceptional case' in R v Smith [1959] and R v Cheshire [1991].