A woman has told of her horrifying drink-spiking experience which left her unconscious in a bar bathroom for two hours.
Jess Insall was left sick and unable to speak after being spiked on a night out in Glasgow in March 2022. She waited 11 months for her test results after a 34-hour delay before samples were taken, and the culprit was never traced.
View 4 ImagesJess Insall who was spiked on a night out in Glasgow
A urine test later proved positive for illegal substances Jess had not consumed.
Jess, from Edinburgh, has told of her own experience and called for drink spiking to be taken more seriously by officers.
The 23-year-old said: “I’ll never know what happened to me, who did it, or whether they’re still out there doing it to other women in the same situation. “I’d really like to see more justice, and I’d like to see the horrible people out there poisoning innocent people get the justice they deserve, and not be able to do this to more people. “My own experience was really frustrating. “It was a few years ago now, and it was only about 8 p.m. I was at a bar and I’d had a few glasses of wine. Then I ended up unconscious in the bathroom for two hours. “I woke up feeling awful, kind of paralysed, unable to move, and really quite unwell for the rest of the night. Thankfully, my parents were able to come and pick me up and take me home. “The next morning, I called the police to try and say, ‘Look, I think I’ve been spiked.’ “We tried to maintain as much evidence as we could, but there were just no processes in place. “When the police first came, they didn’t have a urine sample kit, so they couldn’t take a sample straight away. “It took about two days for them to get a urine sample, and then it took them 11 months to test it. “By that point, there was not really any opportunity to get any other evidence.”
View 4 ImagesShot of man spiking drinks in a nightclub(Image: Getty Images)
In December, new statistics revealed there were only four convictions for drink spiking between 2021 and 2023, with no convictions at all in 2024 or 2025. This comes despite Police Scotland recording 760 reported drink-spiking incidents since 2020. Spiking is when someone adds alcohol or drugs to another person’s drink without their knowledge or consent.
It is a criminal offence.
Figures obtained via Freedom of Information by the Scottish Conservatives last year revealed there were 47 charges reported to the Crown Office over the last four years. Of those, four cases ended in conviction, 17 resulted in no conviction, one resulted in no action and 10 were still ongoing. The highest number of cases were reported in – Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee.
View 4 ImagesA bottle of the date rape drug GHB.
Jess’ tests were positive for cocaine, which she says she did not take, along with medication she was later given in hospital. She fears she was spiked with GHB. The banned Class C drug GHB, or gamma-hydroxybutyrate, induces confusion, euphoria and reduced inhibitions. Testing for GHB is notoriously difficult as it is not detectable in urine after 24 hours, according to Frank, the online drugs guide.
View 4 ImagesScottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay
In 2023, Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay proposed a Bill that would have made it clear spiking is a criminal offence. However, the Scottish Government declined to support the legislation, stating that spiking is already covered undercommon law and the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009. Findlay said: “These shocking figures expose the SNP’s abject failure to get a grip on this dangerous and predatory crime.“Almost four years after raising Jess’s ordeal with the SNP government, victims across Scotland are still being let down by a weak justice system that does not take spiking seriously.
“The failure to properly investigate and prosecute is sickeningly complacent and gives a green light to sex predators. “I would urge John Swinney’s new justice secretary to wake up to the dangers of spiking and back our calls to change the law and put perpetrators in the dock.”
Article continues below
Chief Superintendent Derek Cree said: “We continue to investigate reports from people having been ‘spiked’. We would like to reassure you that every report is taken seriously and investigated. If a sufficiency of evidence is gained, reports are submitted to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. “People should be able to go out for a night out without fear of being spiked. We are working with a range of partners, both locally and nationally, to ensure licensed premises are safe spaces for all. “We work in partnership with other emergency services, student bodies, universities/colleges and Third Sector organisations to raise awareness and provide support for anyone affected. We would encourage anyone who believes they have had their drink spiked or been assaulted in this way to contact Police Scotland on 101 or in an emergency 999.” A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Spiking is an abhorrent crime, and comprehensive laws are already in place to prosecute perpetrators of spiking, including the common law offences of drugging and assault, which carry penalties of up to five years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
“However, we recognise the importance of this issue which is why we are currently consulting on this as part of an overall consultation on improving protections in the justice system for women and girls.”
Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE.