Courts / Dublin / Report

Doctor accused of murdering son (3) was "beyond" a caring mother, trial hears

Summary

In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 43‑year‑old Maha Al Adheem, a doctor, was accused of murdering her three‑year‑old autistic son, Omar Omran, by stabbing him 20 times on 10 July 2017 at their Riverside, Poddle Park home. She admitted the act, claiming a "power" compelled her to take a knife from a drawer. The prosecution argued that the defence of insanity was being raised, with psychiatrists agreeing she met the criteria for not guilty by reason of insanity. Neighbours testified that Al Adheem was a caring mother who never raised her voice, but also described her as paranoid, believing a black cat was an evil spirit and that a man forced her to have sex with him when the cat was present. The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon, was set to resume the following day with a jury of nine men and three women.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Doctor accused of murdering son (3) was "beyond" a caring mother, trial hears. Charges or matters: murdering Omar Omran on July 10, 2017 at the same address. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• July 10, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
• July 7 Other
• July 12 Incident
• July 10 Incident
• 2018-12-18 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

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Read the original CNI report