Man brings appeal against acquittal for murdering his mother in "very unusual" case

A man from Roscommon has brought an appeal against his acquittal on grounds of insanity for the death of his mother in 2011. The 29-year-old had pleaded not guilty to murder at a Castlebar sitting of the Central Criminal Court. A jury acquitted him by reason of insanity in May 2014, and he was sent to the Central Mental Hospital. The Court of Appeal heard the appeal today but questioned its own jurisdiction to proceed. The three-judge court noted that an appeal right typically exists only following conviction, not acquittal. A counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions described the situation as highly unusual. The court heard that the man was not technically a convicted person and retained no criminal record. The matter was adjourned to March 5 for further consideration of the jurisdictional issue.