Courts / Dublin / Report
Woman deemed to be unfit to stand trial for murder of Tyrone McKenna
Summary
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 12 July 2017, a 44‑year‑old woman from Sierra Leone, Mercy Peters, was declared unfit to stand trial for the 2014 murder of Tyrone McKenna, aged 42, in their shared home in Marley Court, Rathfarnham. The judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, considered evidence from two forensic psychiatrists. Dr Sally Linehan, who had interviewed Peters twice, reported that Peters had been admitted to the Central Mental Hospital since July 2014 and had a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, later revised to schizoaffective disorder. She described Peters' delusional beliefs, persecutory themes involving the Gardaí, MI5, and a belief that McKenna had a death wish, and noted her impaired insight and judgment. Dr Aiden Corvin, Peters' treating psychiatrist, confirmed her chronic mental disorder and the persistence of her delusional belief system.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Woman deemed to be unfit to stand trial for murder of Tyrone McKenna. Charges or matters: murdering Tyrone McKenna (42) on July 17, 2014 at the house they had shared in Marley Court, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial
When:
- July 17, 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
- June 9, 2016 Other
- July 21, 2014 Other
- June 1, 2017 Other
- June 1 Other
- July 21 Other
- 2017-07-12 Publication
Why: Dr Sally Linehan said she interviewed Ms Peters on two occasions in order to give her opinion regarding her fitness to be tried and had prepared two reports on each assessment. CNI source report
Case subjects
Accused
Charges: murdering Tyrone McKenna (42) on July 17, 2014 at the house they had shared in Marley Court, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 (Alleged Or Contested)
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
- Central Mental Hospital
Topics
Stage Charge Or Pretrial Violent Crime
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