Courts / Dublin / Report
Severly autistic man not guilty of attacking judge by reason of insanity
Summary
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, a 34‑year‑old severely autistic man, Sean Winters, was found not guilty by reason of insanity after assaulting Judge Miriam Walsh on 11 December 2015. During the two‑day trial, forensic psychiatrists Dr Anthony Kearns and Dr Ronan Mullaney testified that Winters' autism spectrum disorder and associated mental disorder made it impossible for him to control his actions, describing him as emotionally dysregulated and triggered into unpremeditated aggression. The jury of nine men and three women returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. Judge Walsh reported that Winters punched and kicked her repeatedly, causing her to seek hospital care, though X‑rays showed no broken ribs. Following the verdict, Judge Cormac Quinn ordered Winters to be committed to the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum until the next Monday pending an updated psychiatric report.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Severly autistic man not guilty of attacking judge by reason of insanity. Charges or matters: assaulting Judge Miriam Walsh causing her harm at a court in Dublin on December 11, 2015. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- December 11, 2015 Incident
- 2018-07-25 Publication
Why: Giving evidence during the two day trial, Dr Anthony Kearns told the court that in his opinion Winters was unable to refrain from the assault because of his mental disorder. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: assaulting Judge Miriam Walsh causing her harm at a court in Dublin on December 11, 2015 (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Places mentioned
- Grange Road
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Central Mental Hospital
Topics
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