Mercy Peters pleads not guilty to murdering flatmate

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

Mercy Peters pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murdering her flatmate at the Central Criminal Court on 7 May 2019. The killing occurred at the South Dublin home they shared in Marley Court, Rathfarnham, on 17 July 2014.

The trial heard evidence that Peters told gardaí voices in her head made her stab Tyrone McKenna. Psychiatrists for the defence and the State both considered that she met the criteria for a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecuting counsel Paul Burns told the jury that, although the experts agreed, the law required a jury to return such a verdict. The trial continued before Mr Justice Michael White.