Mercy Peters found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity

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

Mercy Peters was found not guilty by reason of insanity of murdering her flatmate, Tyrone McKenna. The proceedings were reported on 8 May 2019.

Peters went on trial at the Central Criminal Court on 7 May 2019, 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.

The report said Peters had told gardaí that voices in her head made her stab McKenna. Paul Burns SC, prosecuting, told the jury that it was not disputed that she had killed him; the issue was whether she met the criteria for the special verdict.

Professor Aiden Corvin, a consultant psychiatrist who testified for the defence, said Peters had schizophrenia and was having an acute, severe episode at the time of the alleged offence. He said she did not know the nature and quality of the act and would not have known right from wrong.

The jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. Mr Justice Michael White committed Peters to the Central Mental Hospital and adjourned the case to 21 May for an examination and preparation of a report for the court.