Shane Smyth pleads not guilty to murder by reason of insanity

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

Shane Smyth pleaded not guilty to murdering Mairead Moran by reason of insanity at the Central Criminal Court. The proceedings were reported on 2 February 2016. He is charged with murdering Mairead Moran at the Market Cross Shopping Centre in Kilkenny City on 8 May 2014.

Prosecution counsel John O’Kelly SC said the factual evidence would not be disputed and the central issue was whether Shane Smyth was suffering from a mental disorder at the time. He said two consultant psychiatrists had prepared reports indicating that Shane Smyth was suffering from a form of psychosis.

John O’Kelly SC said the evidence would show that Mairead Moran was repeatedly stabbed with a knife and died from a stab wound to her trunk through her heart.

Security guard James Coffey agreed that Shane Smyth had a “complete blank look on his face” and was “stone-faced”. He also agreed with defence counsel Colman Cody SC that Mairead Moran had told him Shane Smyth had previously attended St Luke’s Acute Psychiatric Unit in Kilkenny.

The trial was continuing when the report was published.