Richard McLaughlin found insane in murder verdict

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

Richard McLaughlin was found not guilty by reason of insanity of murder at the Central Criminal Court, reported on 9 July 2019. He attacked James ‘Jimmy’ Loughlin with a crowbar outside his Sligo home on 24 February 2018. The court heard McLaughlin was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and could not appreciate that the attack was wrong or refrain from carrying it out. The jury reached its verdict after 52 minutes.

The court heard the two men were strangers and that McLaughlin had not taken his medication for several days. The case was due to return to court the following week, according to the report.