A Galway man has today been found guilty but insane of the murder of his mother nearly four years ago.
Sean Fahy (43), with an address at Ballindooley, Headford Road, Galway pleaded guilty but insane to the murder of his elderly mother, Mrs Margaret Fahy at her home in Ballindooley, on September 11th, 2001.
The jury of five men and seven women at the Central Criminal Court took just ten minutes to reach their unanimous verdict of guilty but insane.
Mr Justice Paul Carney thanked the jury for their service before he directed the father-of-five to be detained at the Central Mental Hospital.
Prosecuting barrister, Mr Brendan Nix told the court on behalf of the Fahy family that they "appreciated the course Sean took".
Inspector Tony O'Donnell, investigating officer, told the court Fahy had been released from St Brigid's psychiatric hospital just five weeks before the murder.
Prosecuting counsel, Mr Nix told the court that Mr Fahy's wife had been contacted by a medical doctor the day before his release from hospital warning her to stay away from him. "She was told by a doctor that she should put some distance between herself and himself as it wasn't uncommon for people like Sean to kill their wives", Mr Nix said.
Ambulance crew, Insp O'Donnell said, noticed two bottles of tablets on the ground beside Mr Fahy. "It was the belief of gardai at the time that Sean Fahy had attempted to take an overdose, there was fear for the life of Sean Fahy at that time", Insp O'Donnell said.
The State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, Insp O'Donnell said, visited the scene and she "observed the violence that was very evident in the house".
Under cross-examination by defence barrister, Mr Martin Giblin, Insp O'Donnell agreed that it was clear the assault on Mrs Fahy was a "frenzied attack".
Insp O'Donnell also said that the accused man told gardai; "I'm sorry for the trouble I have caused, I loved that woman".