Courts / Kildare / Report

Jury rejects insanity defence and convicts 23-year-old of murdering 'gentleman' (65)

Date
2025-04-09

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Newbridge

County
Kildare

Summary

A jury at the Central Criminal Court convicted 23‑year‑old Brian Ibe of murdering 65‑year‑old Peter Kennedy and assaulting Garda Brendan O'Donnell. Ibe had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to both charges. The jury found him guilty after deliberating for just under seven hours. The trial described how Kennedy had taken Ibe and his mother into his home after learning of their homelessness, and how Ibe had allegedly stabbed Kennedy with a knife while Kennedy was in his bedroom. Ibe's defence presented psychiatric evidence that he suffered from schizophrenia and was psychotic at the time of the assault, while the prosecution argued he had a dissocial personality disorder and that his actions were goal‑directed. The judge, Justice Melanie Greally, instructed the jury to apply healthy skepticism to expert testimony. Ibe remains remanded in custody awaiting sentencing, where he faces a mandatory life sentence.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Jury rejects insanity defence and convicts 23-year-old of murdering 'gentleman' (65). Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Not guilty by reason of insanity

When:

April 28 Incident
May 12, 2020 Incident
April 29, 2020 Incident
December 2019 Other
April 28, 2020 Other
May 19 Adjournment
Christmas 2019 Other
Christmas Incident
2025-04-09 Publication

Why: Ms Swords fed him because he was hungry. CNI source report

Case subjects

Brian Ibe

Defendant

Plea: Not guilty

Finding: Not guilty by reason of insanity

Outcome: Not guilty by reason of insanity; He now faces the mandatory sentence of life in prison.; Brian Ibe (23) reported hearing voices in his head was over a year after he was remanded in custody, on the same day his awareness of the possibility of the special verdict was first documented.