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Injection spiking: UEA student says experience left her scared and angry

Martin Giles/BBC Ellen NewellMartin Giles/BBC
Ellen Newell said she was spiked by injection while on a night out in November

A student who believes she was spiked by injection says it has "destroyed" every aspect of her life.

Ellen Newall, 21, was on a night out with friends at the University of East Anglia's student union LCR venue in Norwich when she became ill.

Norfolk Police is investigating the incident, which happened on 16 November, and the student union said it took spiking "extremely seriously".

"Whoever did this has taken everything from me," Ms Newall said.

The student initially thought she had a bug bite after noticing a bruised area with a pin prick mark that started to raise up.

Martin Giles/BBC Ellen NewallMartin Giles/BBC
Ms Newell says she has been left feeling "scared and incredibly angry" by the incident

However, other symptoms that included unusually hyper behaviour and some memory loss have led her to believe she was spiked.

"It was like an out-of-body experience," she said.

Ms Newall went to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, where A&E doctors told her she was the first case of suspected injection spiking they had seen.

"It's the sort of thing, especially if you're already quite an anxious person, it takes away any kind of security that you have and it leaves you scared and incredibly angry," she said.

"It has destroyed every motivation I have. It has destroyed my social life - I barely go out. It's taken away all my focus, energy and creativity.

"Whoever did this has taken everything from me."

Ellen Newall Photo of pin prick markEllen Newall
Ms Newall says she noticed the pin prick mark and started to feel unwell

Ms Newall says she wants the student union, which runs the venue, to do more to protect students as she believes her case was "easily preventable".

A UEA Student Union spokesperson said: "We take the issue of spiking and student safety extremely seriously and are saddened to learn of this student's experience on a night out."

They said they had reached out to Ms Newell and were working to ensure student safety through a number of measures, including: increasing door searches, checking bags and offering anti-spiking devices at the bar, offering a safer taxi scheme and training all their venue teams.

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