Terry Martin, second left.
I wrote the letter to the Mercury TT HERE, Terry Martin: The other factors involvedbecause of the Terry Martin case and because it seemed to me that there had been insufficient coverage of the story to allow an interested reader to understand the issues involved.
What triggered the writing was an event on Saturday 19/11. A young person, reading the Mercury, pages open to a double page spread on the Martin case, unprompted, made the observation: “that guy’s a disgusting paedophile”.
I explained that there were other factors involved and elaborated. My explanation (pretty much what I wrote in the Mercury) caused a significant change of heart and mind, I believe to a more compassionate and well informed position.
I have never met Terry Martin but I have no reason to believe that he was not an honourable person prior to taking those drugs, and that he is profoundly remorseful for what he did; now that he is no longer taking the drugs.
It is not for me to judge whether the taking of those drugs is sufficient reason to excuse Martin’s behaviour.
I think any reasonably intelligent and fair minded person could see a world of difference between the Martin case and the case of a drunken man beating his wife and claiming the alcohol intoxication was sufficient excuse.
I have been well aware of the situation Terry Martin found himself in through my association with Parkinsons Tasmania and through my own clinical practice (I do a lot of work with people who have PD and have met several people who have had similar, but less severe, problems; one is involved in the class action mentioned).
I have read some of the medical literature on impulse control disorder and have listened to world experts on the subject at medical meetings.
We can be sure that Terry Martin did not volunteer to be affected by PD.
It seems possible that he did not sufficiently understand the potential for side-effects of the medication prescribed.
That impulse control disorder is described by Parkinsons Australia literature as “a rare side-effect of dopamine agonists” is somewhat surprising.*
If you read the multi-centre North American study of over 3000 PD patients (see link above) you will discover that 13.6% of that group experienced impulse control disorders of one type or another.
My experience of seeing a person both during and after resolution of impulse control disorder leads me to believe that the name is apt; simply they are out of control.
A person without the moderating influence of a spouse, partner, or carer would be VERY vulnerable to displaying VERY bad (uncharacteristic) behavior which could, of course, have DREADFUL effects on other, innocent, people.
DownloadPd Australia Information sheet on ICD:
InfoSheet_2.9_.pdf
It can be found on the link below:
http://www.parkinsons.org.au/about-ps/about-pd.htm
And,
There is a warning about impulse control disorders in the product information.
The warning for sifrol, one of the dopamine agonist drugs that Terry Martin took, is mentioned at the end of a long list of possible side-effects.
I think that, because the impulse control disorders are so potentially dangerous, (to reputation, to relationships, to career, to finances, and for other people) they require very special warnings attached.
It is best practice to warn the spouse, partner, family, or some other interested person of the symptoms.
These comments first published as comment on this article: Terry Martin: The other factors involved
First published: 2011-11-28 03:19 AM
• ABC Radio … reports Terry Martin received a 10-month prison sentence – wholly suspended. Check the Breaking News through the News Dropdown (Top Nav Bar).
• Zara Dawtrey, Mercury: Judge blames medication
…
Justice Porter had earlier given 11 determinations he made in considering Martin’s sentence.
These were:
The complainant was genuinely exploited.
A wide disparity existed between the ages of Martin and the complainant but there was no suggestion he was seeking an underage sex partner.
There was no suggestion he was aware of her true age.
There was a large number of pictures taken of the girl and kept as they were locked in Martin’s study, “they could have fallen into the wrong hands”.
The pictures were at the lower end of the legal scale in terms of child exploitation material.
Martin was not the complainant’s “sole corrupter”.
The commission of the crimes was directly connected to medication Martin was prescribed “but for the medication he would not have engaged the services of sex workers”.
The medication lowered his inhibitions and affected his moral capacity.
He gave police his full co-operation and potentially provided the evidence that saw him charged.
His reputation has been severely harmed, if not destroyed.
There is no likelihood of reoffending.
Justice Porter said there was no question the fate of the 12-year-old was “outrageous and deplorable in the extreme” but said the man and woman responsible had been dealt with.
“Mr Martin has served as something of a lightning rod for community outrage,” Justice Porter said.
“The matter should end here.”
• ABC Online: Martin sues over drug’s sex side effect
Convicted child sex offender and former MP Terry Martin is part of a class action against the drug companies which distribute medication that causes hypersexual tendencies.
Martin, 54, has been convicted of two child sex offences relating to a 12-year-old girl who was prostituted by her mother in 2009.
A judge gave Martin a suspended jail sentence because his offending was directly linked to Cabergoline, a drug he was prescribed in 2006 for Parkinson’s disease.
The drug is distributed by Pfizer and Aspen Pharmacare.
The class action has been started by Melbourne firm Arnold, Thomas and Becker.
It involves about 200 people who developed a range of gambling, sex and shopping addictions.
Lawyer Allanah Goodwin says the Federal Court is expected to order a pre-hearing conference early next year.
“The literature in the common domain and studies undertaken by the drug companies indicate that they knew, or should have known, of the side effects of a compulsive control disorder,” she said.
“They therefore had an obligation to warn patients for whom their drugs have been prescribed.
“The impact has been absolutely devastating financially, emotionally. In many cases it’s caused a breakdown in relationships.
“Most people have suffered not only financial losses but also significant psychological symptoms as a result of family and relationship breakdown.”
Parkinson’s Tasmania has urged people to see their doctor if they have concerns about their medication.
President Helen Connor-Kendray says the impulses went away when people stopped taking the drug but they had had a devastating impact on their lives.
