“I just shot the aul lad…I’ll be going to jail now": Man accused of murdering elderly father had paranoid schizophrenia, court told

A 35-year-old man from Claremorris in County Mayo has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with the murder of his 70-year-old father on May 6, 2012. The accused has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty by reason of insanity. The court heard evidence that the deceased was shot twice with his own shotgun at their home in Ballynalty, Cross. A state pathologist confirmed death resulted from shotgun wounds to the chest and hand. The defence case centres on the accused's diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, with two consultant forensic psychiatrists from the Central Mental Hospital expected to give evidence regarding his mental state at the time. Detective evidence outlined the accused's immediate admission following the incident and subsequent cooperation with gardaí. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Paul Carney, continues.