Paul Neilan
An autistic man who bludgeoned his mother to death with a hatchet after an argument over an iPhone has been found not guilty of her murder by reason of insanity.
At the Central Criminal Court on Friday morning, a jury of seven women and five men returned the special verdict to Ms Justice Ellen Ring at 11.10am after deliberating for three-and-a-half hours in the case of Patrick Dunne, who had pleaded not guilty to murdering his mother, Susan Dunne, in Co Kerry in 2013.
Expert psychiatrists had told the court that Mr Dunne, who admitted killing his mother but denied it was murder, was incapable of understanding or controlling his actions on the night and was suffering with a mental disorder at the time.
The trial heard that Mr Dunne told gardaí in interviews that he "lost it" over a disagreement about the purchase of an iPhone Ms Dunne believed to be too expensive. Ms Dunne died after suffering six hatchet wounds to the head as she lay in her bed.
The jury heard psychiatric evidence that Mr Dunne had "little understanding of the act or its consequences and was unable to refrain" from killing his mother. They also heard that Mr Dunne felt his mother was controlling him and perceived that she was preventing him from having an independent life.
The 28-year-old autistic man admitted to killing his mother "without any lawful justification" but psychiatrists for both the prosecution and defence were in agreement that the defendant was insane, as defined by law, at the time of his mother's death.
Mr Dunne, from Ballingeragh, Lixnaw, Co Kerry, pleaded not guilty to murdering his mother, Susan (62), between November 26th and 27th, 2013, both dates inclusive, at the same address.
At around 3.30pm on Thursday, the jury broke deliberations and passed a note to the judge asking if they could inspect the hatchet, which they took to the jury room and returned minutes later.
A pathologist had told the court that Ms Dunne died after receiving six blows to the head from a sharp-bladed weapon while in her bed.
On Friday, the jury told the registrar that they were unanimous in the not guilty verdict.
Mr Dunne was remanded to the Central Mental Hospital under Section 5 (3) of the Criminal Law (Insanity Act).
Ms Justice Ring commended the jury and excused them from jury service for seven years.
She adjourned the matter to November 4th, for a medical update on Mr Dunne and for the preparation of a victim impact statement. She described the case as a "difficult" one, "particularly when the life of Susan Dunne came to an end in such a violent way".
More to follow...
