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Sabina Eriksson pulled out a knife and killed her host. After a while, she ran out of the apartment, hitting herself on the head with a hammer, and when one of the passers-by offered to help her, she hit him with a tile. This is how the world learned about one of the strangest cases of delusional disorder.
- Ursula and Sabina Eriksson are twin sisters diagnosed with a very rare disease — common delusional disorder. The disease first attacked Ursula and then, through very close contact, also her sister
- The girls had behaved peculiarly for a long time. First, they ran across a busy highway. When the medics tried to help them after being hit, they were bitten and beaten. Nobody decided to undergo a psychiatric examination then
- It was only during the trial that the truth about the basis of their behavior came to light. Sabina was sentenced to five years in prison for the murder and attack using a dangerous tool
- You can find more similar news on the TvoiLokony home page
In May 2008, twin sisters Ursula and Sabina Eriksson boarded a bus from Liverpool to London. However, the driver threw them out of the vehicle when he noticed that they were clinging to their bags tightly, unnaturally. The man was afraid that there were objects dangerous to his fellow passengers inside. The police were called to the scene. However, law enforcement found the women appeared harmless and left. So does the bus. The sisters stayed at the bus stop.
The girls initially walked along the highway. However, at some point they tried to run to the other side. Ursula ran under the approaching speed of 90 km per hour. truck. After a while, Sabina joined her sister — she was hit by a fast moving passenger car. The services were called to the scene. Contact with the paramedics sparked a fit of rage in Ursula and Sabin. She screamed, spat, bit and scratched at them. The women didn’t want any help either. Ultimately, Ursula was taken to the hospital by helicopter and Sabina, who was in much better condition, by ambulance.
Accident on the road — rules of conduct of rescuers
When witnessing a road accident, we are obliged to provide first aid to the injured until the arrival of qualified services. In order to do this properly, you need to sequentially go through the following seven steps:
- approach to the casualty and assessment of his health condition;
- checking for consciousness – shake the injured by the shoulders and ask, for example, “What happened?” or “Can you hear me?”;
- providing help – telephone to the ambulance service (number 999 or 112). When reporting an emergency, the following information should be provided: who is calling for help, the exact place of the accident, the type and description of the accident, who was injured and how many people need medical attention, what emergency operations have been carried out, are there any dangers. Do not interrupt the conversation until the dispatcher decides to do so;
- clearing the airways by removing foreign bodies from the oral cavity and tilting the head back – this should be done when the victim is unconscious;
- checking that the injured is breathing (the assessment should last 10 seconds, during which 2 breaths must occur);
- checking if the injured person has any dangerous items;
- if the injured is breathing, call for help and while waiting for an ambulance, place him / her in a safe side position, checking for breath every minute and turning over every 30 minutes. If not breathing, the required procedure is CPR;
Five hours after the highway incident, Sabina was discharged from the hospital and taken to police custody. On 19 May 2008, she was brought to trial and pleaded guilty to charges of trespassing on the motorway and assaulting officers. The court sentenced her to one day in jail, but since she had already spent the night in custody, she was allowed to go free. This is how she avoided a psychiatric examination.
«She stabbed me with a knife»
Sabina began wandering around Stone-on-Trent trying to find her sister. This is how she met Glenn Hollinshead, who agreed to let her stay overnight with him. Nothing foreshadowed the tragedy. However, the next morning they were home alone. Suddenly, Sabina pulled out a kitchen knife and delivered four blows towards Hollinshead’s head. The man managed to leave the house with the last of his strength and shout to his neighbor: “She stabbed me with a knife.” Then he collapsed and died on the spot.
Knife wounds — characteristics and behavior
Stab wounds are among the most difficult to treat. It is also not easy to stop a hemorrhage. The outer bore is small while the drilling channel can be deep. These items often stick deep into the tissues and can cause extensive internal damage. With this type of wounds, you should:
- clean and disinfect the injured place;
- protect the damaged area with a plaster or a hydrocolloid dressing;
- in case of serious wounds, consult a doctor.
“She put a hammer on her head”
After a while Sabina ran away from the house with a hammer in her hand, which she was supposed to use to smack herself on the head. The local police, alerted by their neighbors, set off in pursuit. The passer-by, who tried to stop her, noticed the strange behavior of the girl. He did not expect Sabina to pull a tile from her purse and hit him on the head with it several times. The chase for Eriksson ended at Heron Cross, where the girl jumped off a 40-meter bridge. She survived. She was hospitalized with broken ankles and a cracked skull.
After she was released from the hospital, the police arrested her and later charged her with murder. Ursula was released from hospital in September 2008, after which she returned to Sweden and then to the US.
Psychosis, delusions and voices in the head
During the trial, Sabina confessed to all the alleged acts. At the same time, the experts established that at that time she was insane. She could not, among others Explain why she committed the murder and acts of violence. The experts concluded that the twins most likely suffered from a common delusional disorder. In other words, Ursula developed a psychosis which, through close contacts, began to affect Sabin as well. Rare mental disorders made her hear voices.
Psychosis — early symptoms
Psychosis is a dangerous and serious disease. Its first symptoms can be confused with other disease states, so it is worth recalling its early symptoms. These are:
- mood changes;
- isolation;
- problems with memory and concentration;
- sleep disturbance;
- eating disorders;
- loss of energy and lack of motivation to take action;
Ultimately, the court, taking into account the state of health of the accused, sentenced her to five years in prison.
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