Spider bite no excuse for rape, court says
Thu Nov 1, 8:54 AM ET
![Spider bite no excuse for rape, court says 2007_11_01t115154_450x349_us_australia_spider](http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/nm/20071101/2007_11_01t115154_450x349_us_australia_spider.jpg?x=180&y=139&sig=62i1PNhgYWmfHSPP30cW8w--)
SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian man who kidnapped and raped a woman blamed his actions on a spider, local media reported on Thursday.
Philip Spiers pleaded guilty to the kidnap and rape, but told a court that the poison from a funnel-web spider bite had left him with a viral illness which led to his actions.
But a toxicologist told the New South Wales state District Court there was no medical evidence to suggest a spider bite could be responsible for anger and hatred.
Spiers, who kidnapped and raped the woman in 1997, was sentenced on Wednesday to eight years in jail.