Moire Bergin to continue treatment after insanity verdict

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

A jury found Moire Bergin not guilty by reason of insanity of the murder of her mother, Mary Bergin, at the Central Criminal Court on 3 July 2024. Mary Bergin, 76, was fatally stabbed at her home in First Avenue, Seville Place, Dublin 1, on 13 April 2022.

Moire Bergin had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to her mother’s murder. The proceedings were reported on 16 July 2024.

The trial heard that Bergin had been released from psychiatric care five days before the killing. During garda interviews, she spoke of having seen the devil in her mother’s eyes. The jurors accepted evidence from two consultant forensic psychiatrists that she had bipolar affective disorder with symptoms of mania, depression and psychosis at the time and met the criteria for the special verdict.

Defence psychiatrist Dr Stephen Monks said Bergin believed her mother had been replaced by the devil and felt justified because she thought she was extinguishing evil. Under prosecution cross-examination, he agreed with prosecution psychiatrist Dr Paul O’Connell’s diagnosis and said Bergin continued to suffer from a chronic mental disorder requiring treatment and care.

On 3 July, Mr Justice Paul McDermott committed Bergin to the Central Mental Hospital and directed that a psychiatric assessment be prepared. On 16 July, he ordered her to remain there for continued treatment. Prosecuting counsel James Dwyer SC said a consultant forensic psychiatrist, Dr Ronan Mullaney, considered that she continued to suffer from a mental disorder and required ongoing treatment.