Court allows accused to return to family home after psychiatric discharge
Wexford PeopleA Wexford man has successfully applied to have his bail conditions amended after a court heard he has responded well to psychiatric treatment and has been discharged from specialist care.
The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, appeared before Wexford District Court seeking to vary one of the conditions of his bail.
The court heard that the accused is currently required to reside at his home address, follow all directions from his GP in relation to his mental health, and have no unsupervised in-person contact with the injured party.
A previous application by solicitor Eileen O’Neill to remove the supervision requirement had been refused.
However, Ms O’Neill told the court that circumstances had changed significantly since then. The accused has since been discharged from the Department of Psychiatry (DOP) and continues to engage with treatment, while the injured party was expected to return to the family home.
The solicitor stated the man’s doctor believed it would be beneficial for him to return home. Because of the existing bail conditions, the family had considered placing a mobile home on the property to allow him to live there separately.
The solicitor told the court that since first appearing before the court in March, the accused has undergone extensive mental health treatment, attends his doctor weekly, is compliant with his medication, and is following an agreed care plan.
Ms O’Neill said both the accused and his family are now aware of the warning signs of relapse and submitted that he has no history of violence outside the incident before the court.
The accused was said to be “quite unwell” at the time of the alleged offences and was suffering with hallucinations.
Gardaí opposed the application, citing concerns for the safety of the injured party.
The court heard that on March 23, gardaí attended the family home after the accused allegedly stabbed the injured party.
A handwritten note was subsequently discovered indicating that the accused intended to kill both the injured party and himself.
Gardaí told the court the man had disclosed at the time that he had not slept for six weeks, which was believed to have contributed to the deterioration of his mental health.
The court also heard that the injured party has since informed gardaí that she does not wish to proceed with the case or make a formal statement. A file has been submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), with directions still awaited.
Ms O’Neill said the family fully supported the application and were satisfied the accused had made significant progress.
Members of the man’s family also addressed the court, explaining that while they previously had little experience of serious mental illness, they have since become actively involved in his treatment and are now familiar with the signs of any relapse in his condition.
Having considered the updated medical evidence and the family’s submissions, Judge John Cheatle agreed to amend the bail conditions by removing the requirement for supervised contact, allowing the accused to reside at the family home.
The case was adjourned until September 21 with DPP directions awaited.