Alison O'Riordan
A Wexford woman was in the throes of a "psychotic state" when she fatally stabbed her 94-year-old father in the stomach on his birthday in their Wexford home as she thought the voice of God was instructing her that someone had taken his form, a jury has heard.
During the opening of the trial of murder accused Julie Flood at the Central Criminal Court on Tuesday, a prosecuting barrister said experts in the case agreed that the accused fell within the legal definition of someone who was insane when she stabbed her father.
Michael Delaney SC, defending Ms Flood, made three formal admissions to the court on behalf of his client. These included that the accused had stabbed her father with a kitchen knife at their home in the early hours of the morning on April 12th, 2019; that the single stab wound inflicted by the act caused the death of Patrick Flood two days later; and that the accused was properly arrested and detained by gardaí.
A driver told the jury that the accused was in a state of distress when she flagged him down in her pyjamas on the side of the road that morning, telling him: "I'm after stabbing my daddy."
Julie Flood (51), with an address listed as The Oyle, Oylegate, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, is accused of the murder of her father, Patrick Flood (94), at their home address at The Oyle on April 14th, 2019. She has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Opening the prosecution’s case on Tuesday, Mr Shane Costelloe SC told the 12 jurors that this was somewhat an unusual case and that much of what will be put forward in evidence is agreed between the parties.
Counsel told the jury that the allegation against Ms Flood is that she stabbed her father and he died from the stab wound. Mr Costelloe said there will be no issue about Mr Flood's cause of death and that the issue will be whether the accused was insane at the time she stabbed her father in the stomach.
There will be expert evidence from both the State and the defence, Mr Costelloe said, and it is quite likely that the jury will be presented with a unified approach from them.
"It is quite likely you won't hear contrary evidence but a unified version. They agree on her state of mind, her mental condition at the time she stabbed her father," he added.
Sane or insane?
The issue in the case, the prosecution barrister said, would be whether Ms Flood was sane or insane when she stabbed her father.
"It seems to be the case that the experts agree that at the time Ms Flood stabbed her father she fell within the legal definition of someone who was insane," he added.
Outlining the facts of the case, Mr Costelloe said that on April 12th, 2019, it was Mr Flood's birthday, and he had turned 94. He lived in Oylegate at the time with his then 48-year-old daughter Julie.
Counsel said the State alleges that Ms Flood was in the throes of a psychotic or mental state where she thought God was instructing her that the person she was seeing in her house "was not her dad" but someone who took his form and that she was to stab him.
Ms Flood stabbed her father, left the house and went to the side of the road where she flagged down a male driver.
The court heard further evidence will be that the man went to Ms Flood's house and found Mr Flood bleeding profusely from the wound to his abdomen. Mr Flood was conscious at the time and able to engage with gardaí.
The court will also hear evidence, the lawyer said, that Mr Flood was brought to the local hospital where a decision was made "in fairly short order" that he required surgery.
It appeared at first blush that Mr Flood might pull through, but he died two days later on April 14th, the court heard.
The barrister further stated that it will be read into the record that the conclusion of the Assistant State Pathologist, who performed the autopsy, was that Mr Flood died from the stab wound and very serious heart disease.
Evidence
In relation to the evidence against the accused, Mr Costelloe said Ms Flood was in a heightened state when she was arrested, detained and questioned by gardaí.
Mr Costelloe said the accused was clearly still suffering emotionally and was distraught by what she had done and had told gardaí she thought she was directed by the voice of God to stab her father.
Alan Somers gave evidence that he was driving to work on a by-road leading onto the main Wexford-Enniscorthy road at 7.15 am on the morning of April 12th when he saw a woman trying to flag people down.
He said the woman was physically big and was wearing pyjamas at the side of the road. The witness agreed it was immediately apparent to him that the woman was in a state of distress.
Mr Somers said he pulled in and asked the woman what was wrong. He said the woman was hysterical and said: "I'm after stabbing my daddy."
The witness ran up to the woman's house and saw an elderly man, who was wearing chequered pyjamas and was covered in blood, standing by the porch entrance in some distress. Mr Somers said the man was standing with his hands by his side and said "she is after stabbing me", referring to the accused, Ms Flood.
Mr Somers called 999 and said the accused remained outside the house and continued to appear to be in a great degree of distress.
Whilst there, the witness said he observed Ms Flood saying "I'm sorry daddy" over and over. He agreed with Mr Costelloe that the accused appeared to be very agitated and extremely distressed.
An ambulance arrived and assistance was provided to Mr Flood. Mr Somers got a sheet to put over the significant amount of blood on the floor inside the hall door.
He agreed that Ms Flood was in such a heightened and agitated state that one of her neighbours got her dog to allow the accused to pat him to calm her down. Ms Flood was then put in the back of the garda car, the court heard.
Mr Somers said he asked Mr Flood on several occasions to sit down, but he was quite distressed and repeatedly stood up.
The trial continues on Tuesday afternoon before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of six men and six women.
