Adam Nolan found not guilty by reason of insanity of murder

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Adam Nolan was found not guilty by reason of insanity of murder at the Central Criminal Court on 31 May 2019. The proceedings were reported on 31 May 2019.

Nolan was charged with murdering Bryan Cassidy, 52, his mother’s partner, at their address in Balgaddy, Lucan, on 7 February 2018. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

The jury reached its unanimous verdict after 27 minutes of deliberation. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon committed Nolan to the Central Mental Hospital until the following Thursday, when a report from his treating physician would be available.

The trial heard that Nolan had been sent home from Tallaght Hospital two weeks before the killing after presenting with homicidal thoughts. He had been diagnosed with drug-induced psychosis, but the court heard that the diagnosis was later replaced with schizophrenia.

Defence consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Stephen Monks said Nolan was not intoxicated by drugs or alcohol at the time of the killing and was acutely psychotic. He said that someone with homicidal ideations would be considered detainable under the Mental Health Act.