Courts / Westmeath / Report

'Terrible shroud of sadness': jury takes just 32 mins to find mentally ill man not guilty of trying to murder brother

Summary

A 39-year-old man from Mullingar, Gary O'Shaughnessy, was found not guilty of attempted murder by reason of insanity after attacking his partially blind brother with a hammer and knife. The jury reached a unanimous verdict within 32 minutes, noting that O'Shaughnessy suffered from schizophrenia and was under the influence of delusional beliefs that he and his brother were cursed. The defense argued that O'Shaughnessy's mental illness rendered him incapable of understanding the nature of his actions. Psychiatrists testified that he believed the only way to avert a post-apocalyptic curse was to kill his brother. The court accepted that O'Shaughnessy had not been drinking on the day of the attack and that his mental disorder prevented him from knowing the wrongfulness of his actions. Judge Tony Hunt commended the jury for their prompt decision and ordered O'Shaughnessy's commitment to the Central Mental Hospital for psychiatric assessment. The victim, Mark O'Shaughnessy, was found in a critical condition with severe injuries, and the case was described as a "terrible shroud of sadness" by the defense. Gary O'Shaughnessy was found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 'Terrible shroud of sadness': jury takes just 32 mins to find mentally ill man not guilty of trying to murder brother. Charges or matters: the attempted murder of his brother Mark at the same address between May 15 and 16, 2024. Procedural stage: finding. Findings: Not guilty by reason of insanity

When:

• May 15 Other
• April 24 Hearing Or Sentence
• May 16 Hearing Or Sentence
• May 24 2024 Other
• January 2024 Other
• February 2025 Incident
• September 2025 Other
• April 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2026-04-16 Publication

Why: After they had delivered their decision, Mr Justice Tony Hunt thanked the panel for their "prompt verdict", noting there was no reason for a jury to "pretend to deliberate on things when there is nothing to deliberate on". CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Finding Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report