Donegal man who killed parents with axe found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity

A man from Carndonagh in County Donegal has been found not guilty by reason of insanity of murdering his parents at their home in October 2014. Julian Cuddihy, aged 43, faced two murder charges at the Central Criminal Court following the deaths of his mother Kathleen, aged 73, and his father James, aged 77. Evidence presented during the trial established that Cuddihy suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. Expert testimony from two consultant forensic psychiatrists outlined that he experienced severe delusions, including beliefs about poisoning and alien abduction, alongside commanding auditory hallucinations. The psychiatrists concluded that his mental illness prevented him from knowing his actions were wrong and rendered him unable to refrain from committing the acts. The court heard that Cuddihy's family had attempted to secure psychiatric intervention in the weeks preceding the deaths. His father had cancelled a scheduled mental health appointment six days before the incident occurred. The family's concerns about stigma and the prospect of involuntary hospitalisation had influenced their approach to seeking help. Evidence from the State pathologist detailed fatal head injuries inflicted with an axe, along with additional stab wounds sustained by both victims. The jury deliberated for less than an hour before returning unanimous verdicts of not guilty by reason of insanity on both counts. Justice Margaret Heneghan committed Cuddihy to the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, Dublin, for assessment and ongoing psychiatric treatment, having found him to be suffering from mental disorder within the meaning of the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006. The wider family released a statement expressing their grief and appealing to other families to seek timely professional support for relatives experiencing mental health difficulties.