Christina Anderson pleads guilty to manslaughter

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

Christina Anderson was before the Central Criminal Court for a sentence hearing on 8 May 2023 after pleading guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility for the death of Gareth Kelly. The court heard that Anderson had been on trial for murder, but the trial stopped after the State accepted her plea. The killing occurred on 25 February 2020, when Anderson stabbed Kelly five times as he tried to start his car outside her home. Judge Karen O’Connor adjourned the case to 22 May for further prosecution and defence submissions; Anderson was to be sentenced later.

The report said Anderson had a history of bipolar affective disorder and was suffering a psychotic episode linked to the condition. She had been a patient at the Central Mental Hospital since the killing. The proceedings were reported on 8 May 2023.