Courts / Waterford / Report

Jury to begin deliberating on insanity plea

Date
2016-11-04

Stage
Finding

Primary locality
Waterford

Summary

In a case heard in 2016, Paul Cuddihy, aged 38, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity for the murder of Maria O'Brien, aged 55, who was stabbed more than 100 times at St Otteran's Hospital on 5 September 2014. Cuddihy also faced charges of assault causing harm to nurses Breda Fennelly, Mary Grant, Terry Hayes, and fellow resident Mary Nugent, and he pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to those charges as well. Prosecution counsel John O'Kelly SC presented evidence that Cuddihy killed O'Brien and attacked the others, stating that the facts were clear beyond reasonable doubt. He urged the jury to decide whether Cuddihy was sane or insane under the Mental Health Act, noting that forensic psychiatrists agreed he knew what he was doing but could not recognise it as wrong or stop himself.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Jury to begin deliberating on insanity plea. Procedural stage: finding. Findings: Not guilty by reason of insanity

When:

September 5, 2014 Incident
2016-11-04 Publication

Why: A jury will begin considering this afternoon whether a man who stabbed a woman more than 100 times should be found not guilty of her murder because he was suffering a psychotic episode. CNI source report