A homeless man has been found not guilty by reason of insanity of the arson of a Dublin city centre church which caused over four million euro worth of damage.
Patrick Currie (49) immediately admitted setting fire to straw behind a crib at the church with his own lighter and said he had done it because he was “God Almighty”
“I am after burning that church out of it and now I am off to Rome to burn out the paedophiles” he told witnesses in a nearby hairdressers. He also signed his fingerprint consent forms at the garda station as “Jesus Christ.”
Dr Conor O’Neill, consultant psychiatrist at the Central Mental Hospital, gave evidence for the defence that he was of the opinion that at the time of the offence Mr Currie was suffering from a mental illness such that he was unable to refrain from carrying out the act.
He told Ciaran O’Loughlin SC, defending, that his diagnosis was schizoaffective disorder.
Mr Currie, currently an inpatient at the Central Mental Hospital, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to damaging by fire the interior and contents of St Catherine’s Church, Meath Street on January 2nd, 2012.
The jury of seven men and five women returned their verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity on day two of the trial following one hour and five minutes deliberation.
Judge Desmond Hogan had earlier told the jury that if they returned this verdict Mr Currie will be returned to the Central Mental Hospital and a report will be prepared for the court within 14 days on the scheme of treatment and care he now requires.
Karen O’Connor BL, prosecuting, had told the jury that the fact Mr Currie had carried out the act was not in dispute and that the State accepts the evidence of Dr O’Neill.
She said that the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity was available to the jury if it was found that the accused person was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the offence that was such that they did know the nature or quality of the offence, did not know it was wrong or were unable to refrain from committing the offence.
Judge Hogan adjourned the case until May 10th next for a report following an assessment of Mr Currie by an approved medical officer at the Central Mental Hospital as required by section 5(3a) of the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006.