2024-03-22
Mother whose son tried to murder her hits out at failures in mental health system
Stage: Sentence
Plea: Guilty
Finding: Not guilty by reason of insanity
Outcome: Not guilty by reason of insanity; Coughlan's lawyers told the court that their client was concerned about the indeterminate sentence he would receive if he were sent to the Central Mental Hospital having been found not guilty by reason of insanity. His barrister Alice Fawsitt SC told the court that Coughlan took the decision not to look for a "special verdict" under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act and would prefer to serve his sentence in prison rather than in hospital.