Courts / Dublin / Report
Psychiatrists differ over insanity verdict option in trial of man who killed his girlfriend
Summary
A Dublin man, Austin Mangan, is on trial for the murder of his girlfriend, Maud Coffey, with psychiatrists differing on whether he qualifies for a not guilty by reason of insanity verdict. A defence psychiatrist testified that Mangan was suffering from a severe relapse of schizoaffective disorder and met the criteria for the insanity defence. However, a UK psychiatrist argued that while Mangan had a mental disorder, he was capable of refraining from killing. Mangan, who has a history of mental illness and multiple hospital admissions, told the psychiatrist he had stopped taking medication prior to the incident and was under the influence of alcohol. He claimed he believed his girlfriend was mocking him and that he heard Lucifer laughing at him. The psychiatrist concluded that Mangan was unable to refrain from committing the act, but the prosecution's expert disagreed. The trial continues with the court considering the expert testimonies.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Psychiatrists differ over insanity verdict option in trial of man who killed his girlfriend. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- January 13, 2023 Other
- June 2024 Other
- January 14, 2023 Incident
- June 2023 Incident
- January 18 Other
- January 2025 Other
- 2025-12-15 Publication
Why: However, UK psychiatrist Dr Richard Church found that although the accused was suffering from a mental disorder that had diminished his responsibility for the act, he did not qualify for a not guilty by reason of insanity verdict because he was able to refrain from killing. CNI source report
Case subjects
Places mentioned
- Hollybank Road
- Dublin
- Royal Canal Park
- St Patrick's University Hospital
- The Mater Hospital
- Cloverhill Prison
Topics
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