DYLAN OR DIE: A Hobart, Australia, man who trampled his mother to death to the strains of Bob Dylan's One More Cup of Coffee for the Road was released from prison to see his idol perform last weekend. Richard Dickinson, 25, who was found not guilty because of insanity, was allowed to see the show because his doctors said he was responding well to treatment for schizophrenia. Dickinson killed his mother five years ago when she complained that he was playing Dylan's Desire album at 4 a.m.
DYLAN TRIP FOR KILLER
A man who trampled his mother to death to the accompaniment of Bob
Dylan's `One More Cup Of Coffee' was let out of prison for a night to
see his idol at a Hobart concert.
Richard Dickinson, 25, went to the April 11 concert accompanied by a prison
warder and a male nurse from Risdon Jail's hospital.
The outing had the blessing of the State Attorney-General, Mr Cornish, and
the medical team treating Dickinson's schizophrenia, said corrective services
division manager Mr Ben Marris.
Dickinson killed his mother, Gladys, 59, five years ago after she complained
about him playing Dylan's album `Desire' at 4am.
He told police at the time he thought his mother was the evil character Isis
referred to on the album and the music had given him the strength to kill her.
After Dickinson killed his mother, he sprinkled instant coffee over her.
Mr Marris said the concert had been the idea of psychiatrists and
psychologists who said he had been responding well to treatment.
"They were satisfied when he came back from the concert that it was a
valuable experience, but we are now talking about the medical treatment of an
individual and it's inappropriate for any more details to be revealed publicly," Mr Marris said.
The possibility of Dickinson going mad again if Dylan had played `One More
Cup Of Coffee' at the concert had been given careful consideration and it
was decided there was very little risk.
"On top of that we ensured his family was aware of what was happening to
avoid them meeting him unexpectedly and they supported the move to take
him to the concert," he said.
"One should note that he was found not guilty of murder by reason of
insanity and that this outing was an extraordinary and exceptional situation."
Dickinson paid the $41 for his own concert ticket while corrective services
paid for his two guards.
The concert was panned by critics and fans with one long-time Dylan devotee
saying she was not sure whether Dylan had played `One More Cup Of Coffee'
because all the songs had been unintelligible.
