Epilepsy may have caused air rage LAURIE BAILEY Canadian Press Monday, July 29, 2002 WINNIPEG (CP) - Charges stemming from what appeared to be a case of air rage are expected to be dropped this week against a Swiss man who was actually having an epileptic seizure, his lawyer said Monday. Ernie Schenkel, 60, has languished in a Winnipeg jail for weeks, but will likely fly home to Switzerland after being put on medication, said defence lawyer Greg Hawrysh. "We're hoping to get him out on Friday," said Hawrysh, who has arranged for a paramedic to escort Schenkel. "We're making all the arrangements with the Swiss government, who are picking up the costs of his flight and the cost of the escort." Hawrysh said the Swiss government agreed to pay for Schenkel's fare as long as he remains on medication and is accompanied by a paramedic with a security background. Schenkel was arrested last May after an Air Canada Boeing 767 flight from Toronto to Vancouver made an unscheduled stop in Winnipeg. Police said at the time a passenger on that flight became enraged and assaulted a flight attendant. Hawrysh said Schenkel is an untreated epileptic and could not be held legally responsible. "We've got medical reports that justify our position which was that he was not fit at the time of the offence," he said. Schenkel was diagnosed years ago, but wasn't taking medication. "Now we've got him on his medication." Schenkel, who once worked as an engineer and was a notable long-distance runner, was shuttled between his jail cell to a hospital to receive treatment. He is a dual citizen of Canada and Switzerland and now resides in Dubendorf. He has a former wife and two children in British Columbia. The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site: Roj (Roger James) *************************************************** escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca Trinbago site: http://www.tntisland.com CBC Website http://www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ The Trinbago Site of the Week: (TnT Medical Assn.) http://www.tntmedical.com/ (Trinidad & Tobago Medical Association) courtesy of Roj Trinbago Website & TnT Web Directory Roj's Trinbago Website: http://www.tntisland.com TnT Web Directory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************