A 30-YEAR-OLD man who fatally stabbed his mother over 15 times at the family home was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity at the Central Criminal Court yesterday.
The jury reached its unanimous verdict after deliberating for nine minutes. The defendant was returned to the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, where he is under treatment.
Seamus Marrinan, Newport Road, Castlebar, pleaded guilty to murdering Carmel Marrinan (61), of the same address, on July 8th, 2009. Det Sgt James Carroll, of Castlebar Garda station, told the court that when gardaí arrived at the scene the accused was in a very agitated state, referring to his mother as the devil, and had to be restrained to prevent him harming himself or others.
Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Helen O’Neill interviewed Mr Marrinan at the Central Mental Hospital, and told prosecuting counsel the accused was schizophrenic. He had no prior psychiatric history. Dr O’Neill said Mr Marrinan told her he believed the world was going to end and he decided to kill himself. He said: “I took the picture of the Sacred Heart down from above the boiler and met my mother on the stairs, and I hit her with the picture and stabbed her with the knife.”
Dr O’Neill told the jury the accused was suffering from delusions such as believing his food was poisoned, and that members of his family had been replaced by the devil. He also suffered from auditory hallucinations, hearing voices that were not there.
Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Harry Kennedy told Patrick Gageby, defending, that he completely agreed with this diagnosis.
He said: “It is a very sad account of the onset of schizophrenia in a young man. It may seem surprising that a mental illness can come out of the blue, but from the point of view of a psychiatrist it is not surprising.” The accused’s illness had improved but he required further treatment, he said.