Psychiatrists differ over insanity plea at Valerijs Leitons murder trial

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

Valerijs Leitons was on trial charged with murdering Skaidrite Valdgeima at the Binary Hub aparthotel on Bonham Street, Dublin 8, on 26 June 2019.

He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The proceedings were reported on 6 October 2021.

Defence psychiatrist Dr Ronan Mullaney said Leitons had paranoid schizophrenia and was acutely psychotic at the time of the offence. He said Leitons met the criteria for a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Dr Damian Smith, who had previously given evidence, said Leitons had a mental disorder but was not impaired enough to meet those criteria.

Dr Mullaney said Leitons had told doctors that he believed Valdgeima was an intelligence agent sent to poison and kill him. Leitons said he stabbed her after seeing her return from a bathroom with her hands behind her back and becoming convinced she had a weapon.

In his opening address, prosecution counsel Conor Devally SC said the prosecution accepted that Leitons had a mental disorder, but doctors differed about its extent. He said the jury would have to decide whether it satisfied the insanity plea or whether Leitons could be found guilty of manslaughter with diminished responsibility.

Mr Justice Paul Burns told the jury that closing speeches were expected the following day.