Courts / Carlow / Report
Grandmother lying in hospital bed when grandson told her he'd murdered his father, trial hears
Summary
A 31-year-old man who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his father by reason of insanity told his grandmother that he had killed her son when she was lying in her bed in a hospital ward. Ross O'Rourke (31) of Tullow, Carlow, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of his father, Stefan Nivelles Posschier (65). During the opening of the trial, Shane Costelloe SC said that expert psychiatrists for both the prosecution and defence are in agreement about the accused's mental state at the time of the murder. The court heard that Ms Kingston, the grandmother of the accused, was in her bed in the hospital ward on October 25, 2022, when O'Rourke told her that he had killed her son. Gardai found the body of the deceased under plastic tarpaulin held down with bricks. The prosecution's case is that the accused caused the death of his father, and the court will hear evidence from expert consultant psychiatrists about the accused's mental state at the time.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Grandmother lying in hospital bed when grandson told her he'd murdered his father, trial hears. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- October 24 Hearing Or Sentence
- October 2022 Other
- October 25, 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2025-12-11 Publication
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