Ben Te’o assault allegation withdrawn

ABC News 23 May 2013

Queensland Police say an allegation against NRL player Ben Te’o has been formally withdrawn.
The South Sydney forward had been accused of assaulting a woman in Brisbane last month but denied any wrong-doing.

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Police review security video as investigation continues into Logan woman’s murder

ABC News 23 May 2013

Detectives are reviewing security video from businesses and homes near the scene of a brutal murder at Logan, south of Brisbane.
A woman, aged in her late 20s, was found partially clothed in the front yard of a home at 7:00am (AEST) yesterday, just a few hundred metres from the fast food restaurant where she worked.

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Assessment of the presence of damiana in herbal blends of forensic interest based on comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography

Forensic Toxicology April 2013

The popularity of ‘herbal highs’ as an alternative to common illegal drugs is becoming an emerging concern for forensic laboratories and medical facilities. One of the herbal ingredients often claimed by the suppliers to be present in their products is Turnera diffusa, commonly known as ‘damiana,’ which has a long history as a pharmaceutical drug and an intoxicating substance due to its alleged psychoactive effects. The present project focused on the analysis of the chemical signature of damiana for its identification in different herbal blends of forensic interest. Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography proved to be a powerful tool for the extensive analysis of the wide range of volatile compounds present in extracts of damiana and related herbal products. Due to the absence of unique compounds in Turnera diffusa, the chemical pattern has to be considered to ascertain the presence of this species in herbal blends. Differentiation to the closely related species Turnera ulmifolia was provided based on the chemical profile. Compound alignment based on both retention times and mass spectral data revealed the presence of damiana in all ‘herbal high’ products, regardless of whether the presence was declared on the product or not. For several blends, damiana appeared to be the exclusive herbal component. Thus, it confirms the presumption that Turnera diffusa is one of the preferred herbs used as a matrix for ‘herbal high’ products. Utilizing principle component analysis, 31 compounds were selected, which provided discrimination of five commercial damiana batches.

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Cross-reactivity of designer drugs, including cathinone derivatives, in commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays

Drug testing and Analysis published online: 15 MAY 2013

Since the introduction of synthetic heroin, designer drugs have been increasing in prevalence in the United States drug market over the past few decades. Recently, ‘legal highs’ sold as ‘bath salts’ have become a household term for one such class of designer drugs. While a number of federal and state bans have been enacted, the abuse of these designer drugs still continues. Few assays have been developed for the comprehensive detection of such compounds, so it is important to investigate how they may or may not react in presumptive screens, i.e. pre-existing commercial immunoassays. In this experiment, 16 different ELISA reagents were evaluated to determine the cross-reactivity of 30 designer drugs, including 24 phenylethylamines (including 8 cathinone derivatives), 3 piperazines, and 3 tryptamines. Cross-reactivity towards most drugs was <4% in assays targeting amphetamine or methamphetamine. Compounds such as MDA, MDMA, ethylamphetamine, and α-methyltryptamine demonstrated cross-reactivities in the range of 30–250%, but data were consistent with both manufacturer’s inserts and published literature. When tested against the Randox Mephedrone/Methcathinone kit, cathinone derivatives demonstrated cross-reactivity at concentrations as low as 150 ng/ml. Since this same reagent did not cross-react with other amphetamine-like compounds, it opens the possibility to screen post-mortem specimens without the interference of putrefactive amines. All other assays demonstrated essentially no cross-reactivity towards any of the analytes evaluated. Given these results, a great need exists for more broad-range screening techniques to be applied when analyzing biological specimens by immunoassays for drugs of abuse, specifically the more recent designer drugs.

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Body fluid and tissue analysis using filter paper sampling support prior to LC-MS/MS: Application to fatal overdose with colchicine

Drug Testing and Analysis published online: 16 MAY 2013

Because of the various matrices available for forensic investigations, the development of versatile analytical approaches allowing the simultaneous determination of drugs is challenging. The aim of this work was to assess a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) platform allowing the rapid quantification of colchicine in body fluids and tissues collected in the context of a fatal overdose. For this purpose, filter paper was used as a sampling support and was associated with an automated 96-well plate extraction performed by the LC autosampler itself. The developed method features a 7-min total run time including automated filter paper extraction (2 min) and chromatographic separation (5 min). The sample preparation was reduced to a minimum regardless of the matrix analyzed. This platform was fully validated for dried blood spots (DBS) in the toxic concentration range of colchicine. The DBS calibration curve was applied successfully to quantification in all other matrices (body fluids and tissues) except for bile, where an excessive matrix effect was found. The distribution of colchicine for a fatal overdose case was reported as follows: peripheral blood, 29 ng/ml; urine, 94 ng/ml; vitreous humour and cerebrospinal fluid, < 5 ng/ml; pericardial fluid, 14 ng/ml; brain, < 5 pg/mg; heart, 121 pg/mg; kidney, 245 pg/mg; and liver, 143 pg/mg. Although filter paper is usually employed for DBS, we report here the extension of this alternative sampling support to the analysis of other body fluids and tissues. The developed platform represents a rapid and versatile approach for drug determination in multiple forensic media.

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Sensitive determination of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and diethylene glycol in human whole blood by isotope dilution gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and the presence of appreciable amounts of the glycols in blood of healthy subjects

Forensic Toxicology May 2013

Ethylene glycol (EG), propylene glycol (PG), and diethylene glycol (DEG) are widely used as components of antifreeze liquids for automobiles and in many other products. They occasionally cause severe poisonings when they are ingested in high doses. In this study, we established a detailed procedure for highly sensitive and simultaneous determination of EG, PG, and DEG in human whole blood by isotope dilution gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS).

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Row over pet dog led to Qld man’s death

The Courier Mail Christine Flatley AAP May 17, 2013

A WOMAN has told a Brisbane court she didn’t realise her boyfriend was standing near her car when she hit and killed him during an argument over a dog.
Brydee Collins broke down in tears as she told the Supreme Court she tried to steer away when she realised she was about to hit the house belonging to 21-year-old David Eldridge’s parents.

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Investigation under way after prisoner assaulted at Arther Gorrie Correctional Centre

The Courier Mail David Murray May 17, 2013

A PRISONER has been taken to hospital after an assault at the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre today.
The 43-year-old man was “stable, conscious and breathing” when taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital, a Corrective Services spokeswoman said.
“Corrective Services and Queensland police are investigating the circumstances,” the spokeswoman said.

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Appeal over sentence for man who urinated on cop

Townsville Bulletin May 17th, 2013

THE Queensland Police Service has lodged an appeal over an ‘inadequate’ sentence given to a man who urinated on a female police officer after pushing her down two steps.
Ellian Stewart Terare, 25, received a three-month suspended jail term after pleading guilty to serious assault, public nuisance and assault and obstruct in Townsville Magistrates Court last month.

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Fatal traffic crash, Esk

Qld Police Media May 17, 2013

Police are investigating after a traffic crash in Esk today claimed the life of a man.
Around 9.30am police were advised of the traffic crash at Down Street.
Initial investigations indicate the incident appears to have occurred overnight where it is believed a vehicle may have rolled forward onto the man in a residential driveway. The crash was discovered this morning.
The 57-year-old man died at the scene.
The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating.

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