Courts / Ireland / Report
Mother had "fixed, false and psychotic view" of child's autism, murder trial told
Summary
In a Central Criminal Court trial, a mother pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity for suffocating her three‑year‑old daughter with a pillow. Defence witnesses, including Dr Stephen Monks, described the woman as having severe depression with psychotic features, claiming she believed her child was profoundly disabled and had no future. She reportedly held a fixed, false, psychotic view of her daughter's autism, convinced of a severe form of the condition despite medical assessment. The prosecution's Dr Sally Linehan also testified that the defendant did not understand the wrongfulness of her act and was unable to refrain from it. Both expert witnesses agreed the defendant met the criteria for a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. The jury was instructed to consider these findings before deliberating.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Mother had "fixed, false and psychotic view" of child's autism, murder trial told. Procedural stage: finding. Findings: Not guilty by reason of insanity
When:
- 2019-10-23 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Not guilty by reason of insanity
Outcome: Not guilty by reason of insanity
Places mentioned
- The Central Criminal Court
- Central Criminal Court
- Central Mental Hospital
Topics
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