▁[ 1 9 8 4 ] ▁AC ▁ 1 5 6 ▁is ▁a ▁British ▁House ▁of ▁L ords ▁case ▁in ▁criminal ▁law , ▁and ▁a ▁leading ▁modern ▁authority ▁on ▁the ▁common ▁law ▁defence ▁of ▁ins an ity . ▁ ▁Fact s ▁ ▁The ▁def endant , ▁who ▁had ▁suffered ▁ep ile ps y ▁since ▁child hood , ▁k icked ▁the ▁victim , ▁his ▁friend , ▁during ▁an ▁ep ile ptic ▁fit ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁sitting ▁in ▁his ▁neighbour ' s ▁flat ▁on ▁ 8 ▁May ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁Upon ▁recovery , ▁the ▁def endant ▁only ▁remembered ▁the ▁incident ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁standing ▁by ▁a ▁window ▁with ▁the ▁victim ▁lying ▁on ▁the ▁floor ▁with ▁head ▁inj uries . ▁The ▁def endant ▁was ▁charged ▁with ▁assault . ▁The ▁trial ▁judge ▁ruled ▁that ▁the ▁evidence ▁that ▁the ▁def endant ▁had ▁suffered ▁from ▁a ▁post - ep ile ptic ▁se iz ure ▁would ▁amount ▁to ▁a ▁disease ▁of ▁the ▁mind , ▁not ▁that ▁of ▁automat ism . ▁ ▁Jud gment ▁ ▁The ▁House ▁of ▁L ords ▁held ▁that ▁ep ile ps y ▁was ▁a ▁disease ▁of ▁the ▁mind ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁def endant ' s ▁imp a ired ▁mental ▁fac ult ies ▁causing ▁defect ▁in ▁reasoning . ▁Lord ▁D ip lock ▁stated ▁that ▁" The ▁evidence ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁path ology ▁of ▁a ▁se iz ure ▁due ▁to ▁psych om ot or ▁ep ile ps y ▁can ▁be ▁sufficiently ▁stated ▁for ▁the ▁purposes ▁of ▁this ▁appeal ▁by ▁saying ▁that ▁after ▁the ▁first ▁stage ,