Courts / Dublin / Report

Mother who killed children while mentally ill has inquest challenge brought forward

Summary

A mother who killed her three children while suffering from a mental disorder is challenging a coroner's decision to limit medical evidence in the inquests into their deaths. Deirdre Morley, a paediatric nurse, was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the 2020 killings of her children. Her lawyers are seeking a judicial review of the coroner's decision to exclude medical professionals who treated her before the incident from giving evidence. The coroner instead plans to rely on expert testimony from psychiatrists who gave evidence at Morley's trial. Morley's legal team argues that the inquest would be inadequate without assessing her mental state at the time of the killings. The High Court granted an application to expedite the matter, with the case adjourned to December 8.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Mother who killed children while mentally ill has inquest challenge brought forward. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• October 7 Other
• January 19, 2026 Hearing Or Sentence
• January 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
• December 8 Adjournment
• 2025-11-27 Publication

Why: The court heard Ms Morley wanted to save her children from the "pain and suffering" she felt lay before them because of her parental shortcomings. Court evidence reported by CNI

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

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Read the original CNI report