Courts / Donegal / Report
Donegal man who killed parents with axe found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity
Summary
A man from Carndonagh, County Donegal, has been found not guilty by reason of insanity of the murder of his parents at their home on October 22, 2014. Julian Cuddihy (43) faced two charges at the Central Criminal Court following the deaths of his mother Kathleen (73) and father James (77). The trial heard expert evidence from two consultant forensic psychiatrists who testified that Mr Cuddihy's severe mental illness prevented him from knowing his actions were wrong and rendered him unable to stop himself. The jury deliberated for forty minutes before returning unanimous verdicts on both counts. Justice Margaret Heneghan committed Mr Cuddihy to the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum for ongoing assessment and treatment. His family released a statement expressing their grief and urging other families to seek timely professional help for relatives experiencing mental health concerns. A follow-up court hearing was scheduled for June 20.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Donegal man who killed parents with axe found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. Procedural stage: finding. Findings: Not guilty by reason of insanity
When:
- October 22, 2014 Other
- June 20 Adjournment
- December 2013 Incident
- 2016-06-09 Publication
Why: He stopped eating at the family home because he believed his mother was trying to poison him and took to sleeping in an annexe of the house with an axe for protection. CNI source report
Case subjects
Applicant
Finding: Not guilty by reason of insanity
Outcome: Not guilty by reason of insanity
Places mentioned
Topics
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