Courts / Dublin / Report

"Entirely" possible that Eric Locke "panicked" and murdered Sonia Blount, psychiatrist agrees

Date
2017-05-16

Stage
Trial

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

During the Central Criminal Court trial of Eric Locke, Dr Seán Ó Domhnaill testified that it was "entirely possible" that Locke had intentionally killed Sonia Blount, a 31‑year‑old mother‑of‑one who was found strangled and suffocated in a Plaza Hotel room in Tallaght on 16 February 2014. The psychiatrist, who had diagnosed Locke with Pervasive Developmental Disorder, ADHD, autism and Asperger's Syndrome, argued that Locke's mental state gave him "diminished responsibility" for the killing. He also described Locke as a compulsive liar and noted that Locke had used a fake Facebook profile to arrange a meeting with Blount. Dr Ó Domhnaill agreed that Locke's messages to Blount about leaving a keycard at reception showed an element of planning, but he maintained that Locke had not intended to kill her, only to silence her. The prosecution cross‑examined him on these points, and the trial continues before a jury. The unnamed 35-year-old pleaded not guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: "Entirely" possible that Eric Locke "panicked" and murdered Sonia Blount, psychiatrist agrees. Procedural stage: trial

When:

February 2014 Other
November 2015 Other
2017-05-16 Publication

Why: He said that it wasn't a big shock to him that he had lied because people with Asperger's were often compulsive liars, who would lie to avoid any any hassle. CNI source report