Court archive
Court reports mentioning Gweedore, Donegal
2026-04-13 · Donegal
A 39-year-old man from Gweedore in Co Donegal has been committed to the Central Mental Hospital following a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity in relation to the death of his grandfather. Derek Mulligan received the order at the Central Criminal Court on Monday after a jury returned majority verdicts on all counts in late March. The jury accepted psychiatric evidence that Mr Mulligan was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia when his grandfather, Derek Burns, aged 78, died at Carrickcoyle on 19 December 2023. A consultant forensic psychiatrist told the court that Mr Mulligan continues to suffer from the mental disorder and requires ongoing inpatient treatment. The defendant had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murder and further charges relating to property damage and threats made two days prior, as well as two counts of assault. Justice Eileen Creedon accepted the medical evidence and committed him to the designated centre for continued care.
2026-03-27 · Donegal
A native Irish speaker, 39-year-old Derek Mulligan, has been found not guilty of murdering his grandfather by reason of insanity following a majority verdict by a Central Criminal Court jury. The jury accepted the evidence of two psychiatrists who testified that Mulligan was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the incident. Mulligan had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of his grandfather, Derek Burns, who died from severe injuries sustained on December 19, 2023. The court also heard that Mulligan was found not guilty by reason of insanity on additional charges, including damaging property, making threats, and assaulting two individuals. The trial revealed that Mulligan had a history of mental health issues and had experienced significant trauma, including sexual abuse in his childhood. The court ordered Mulligan's commitment to the Central Mental Hospital for psychiatric assessment, with a return date scheduled for March 31. The judge exempted the jury from service for the next five years due to the difficulty of the case.
2026-03-26 · Donegal
Defence counsel told a Central Criminal Court jury that a just and humane society should treat people who are unwell rather than punish them, in the trial of Derek Mulligan. Mulligan has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murdering his grandfather Derek Burns at Carrickcoyle, Derrybeg, and to other charges. Two psychiatrists told the trial he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and met the criteria for the special verdict. The jury was expected to begin deliberations the following day.
2026-03-25 · Donegal
Two psychiatrists told the Central Criminal Court that Derek Mulligan was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia when he caused fatal injuries to his grandfather Derek Burns. Mulligan has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murder, while the court also heard evidence that the release of Michael Ferry had caused him to 'spiral'; the trial continues.
2026-03-24 · Donegal
The Central Criminal Court heard evidence that Derek Mulligan described attacking his grandfather Derek Burns with a granite stone and cement block. Mulligan has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murder and also faces charges arising from incidents involving Catherine McDermott and the McFaddens in Donegal; the trial continues.
2026-03-23 · Donegal
Derek Mulligan has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murdering his grandfather Derek Burns in Carrickcoyle, Donegal, in December 2023. Prosecuting counsel told the trial that State and defence psychiatrists agree Mulligan was suffering from a mental disorder when the killing occurred. The trial also concerns alleged property damage, threats and assaults on the same date, and continues before a judge and jury.