Eric Locke denies murder as psychiatrist gives evidence

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Eric Locke denies murdering Sonia Blount in the Central Criminal Court, in evidence reported on 16 May 2017. Blount died at a hotel in Tallaght in February 2014, and Locke admits causing her death while relying on diminished responsibility.

Psychiatrist Dr Seán Ó Domhnaill said Locke may have been a compulsive liar and that his actions showed planning. He said it was entirely possible Locke intended to falsely imprison Blount, panicked and then intended to murder her.

The doctor said Locke’s mental disorder diminished his responsibility, while acknowledging that Locke’s account of events was difficult to reconcile with other evidence. The trial continued after the psychiatrist finished giving evidence, with the defence not calling a second psychiatrist.