A man has had his sentence for rape and buggery adjourned by the Central Criminal Court because he is suffering from "paranoid delusions" and needs treatment. Armando Marques (42), single, with an address at Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin, has pleaded guilty previously to raping and buggering a Dublin woman on December 12th, 1998.
Mr Justice Kinlen was told by forensic psychiatrist Dr Conor O'Neill that Marques, a Portuguese national, was not responding well so far to treatment at the Central Mental Hospital. Dr O'Neill, responding to defence counsel Mr Felix McEnroy SC, said that, in his opinion, Marques was sane when he committed the offences, and that he was also fit to plead when he did and to instruct his legal team. Dr O'Neill added that he considered Marques did not have full insight into the gravity of his offence. It was impossible to say how long the treatment he was getting to deal with his "paranoid delusions" would take. Earlier, Mr McEnroy said the defence had received a psychological report from Portugal, which stated that Marques was not insane and was fit to plead. Prosecuting counsel Ms Mary Ellen Ring agreed that further time was needed before proceeding with the sentence hearing.
Mr Justice Kinlen agreed to adjourn the case again until March 22nd, when the court would see if a date for sentencing could be set. The proceedings were translated for Marques by an interpreter. The court has previously heard evidence from Marques's elderly mother, who travelled from Portugal to plead for him. She said he had a history of mental illness and had needed expensive medical treatment from childhood.
Marques said he wished to maintain his guilty plea even though he had told the Probation and Welfare Service that he pleaded guilty originally only at the behest of his legal team.