Mercy Peters committed to CMH after not guilty by reason of insanity verdict

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

Mercy Peters was committed to the Central Mental Hospital after a jury found her not guilty by reason of insanity of murdering her flatmate, Tyrone McKenna. The proceedings were reported on 21 May 2019.

Peters stood trial at the Central Criminal Court, charged with murdering McKenna on 17 July 2014 at the house they shared in Marlay Court, Rathfarnham. She pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

Peters told gardaí that she had stabbed McKenna and that voices in her head made her do it. She also said she was off her medication. Gardaí found a knife in a handbag, and the DNA profile in blood on the knife and a tobacco pouch matched McKenna’s.

Defence psychiatrist Professor Aiden Corvin said Peters had schizophrenia and was experiencing an acute, severe episode at the time. He said she did not know the nature and quality of the act or right from wrong. State psychiatrist Dr Sally Linehan also concluded that Peters met the criteria for the special verdict.

The jury returned a unanimous verdict after 23 minutes of deliberations. Justice Michael White initially committed Peters to the hospital pending examination and a report. After consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Ronan Mullaney said she needed further treatment and assessment, the judge made an order committing her to the hospital. Dr Mullaney said she would be reviewed and considered for conditional discharge in due course.