Tag: Ireland

Christina Anderson pleads guilty to manslaughter as murder charge dropped

Irish Times | 13th January 2023

Michael O’Higgins SC, who acted for Ms Anderson, said the plea decision was taken “after lengthy consideration and appraisal of this case”. He said there were “ongoing difficulties on the defence side” arising from a report by consultant psychiatrist Professor Harry Kennedy and the decision to plead guilty to manslaughter was informed by those difficulties. The court has previously heard that Professor Kennedy disagreed with Dr Brenda Wright, a consultant psychiatrist called by the defence, who said that Ms Anderson was suffering from bipolar affective disorder and as a result of her mental disorder she was unable to refrain from stabbing Mr Kelly.

Professor Kennedy, the court heard during cross examination of Dr Wright, had written a report in which he said that Ms Anderson’s behaviour was better explained by cannabis intoxication. Intoxication cannot be used as a defence under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006…

Ms Anderson of Brownsbarn Wood, Kingswood, Dublin 22, stabbed Mr Kelly five times as he tried to start his car outside her home at about 7am on the morning of February 25, 2020.

https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2023/01/13/christina-anderson-pleads-guilty-to-manslaughter-as-murder-charge-dropped/

Drug-user who thought he was Jesus Christ tried to murder flatmate in Limerick apartment

Irish Examiner | 13th December 2022

The judge said Biber had started taking cannabis at 17 and attended addiction counselling for four years afterwards. At 24, Biber started taking cocaine and other stimulants that cause him to experience psychosis and auditory hallucinations for one to two days at a time.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/courtandcrime/arid-41027093.html

‘Innocent and defenceless’ – the night of alcohol and drugs that ended with the murder of toddler Santina Cawley

Irish Independent | 17th May 2022

An alcohol- and drug-fuelled night led to the horrific beating to death of “an innocent and defenceless” two-year-old girl.

Karen Harrington (38) was jailed for life after a Central Criminal Court jury found her guilty by unanimous verdict of the shocking killing of Santina Cawley (2)…

Earlier that evening, after several hours of drinking and smoking cannabis, Harrington had gone home in tears after being called “a prostitute” by Mr Cawley who also accused her of being with “foreigners”.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/innocent-and-defenceless-the-night-of-alcohol-and-drugs-that-ended-with-the-murder-of-toddler-santina-cawley-41656597.html

Man high on magic mushrooms used blowtorch to burn face of boy (2) as he sat in his buggy

Irish Independent | 18th May 2021

He believed he was seeing “shadows” and was attempting to burn them away with the blowtorch, defence counsel, Karl Monahan BL, said.

Brennan has no previous convictions.

Ms Collard said the little boy’s entire family have been emotionally affected by what happened. The boy’s parents in particular are “full of what-ifs”, she said.

The boy’s father cried in court as he said the attack had left him “empty, scared for my family’s safety and helpless”. He said he struggles with sleep and feels nauseated when he sees the footage of Brennan hurting his son.

The boy’s mother said she still struggles to come to terms with the fact her child was attacked in their garden. She said the assault has left her sad and afraid. “I hold my children close to my heart and tell them I love them every day,” she said.

Both parents reported how their child has had nightmares and sleep difficulties in the wake of the assault, has become hysterical when he sees a strange man and is scared to go out in the front garden where the attack occurred.

Mr Monahan said Brennan was diagnosed with autism when he was a child and Asperger’s Syndrome when he was a teenager. He started using cannabis which may have led to him developing schizophrenia.

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/dublin/man-high-on-magic-mushrooms-used-blowtorch-to-burn-face-of-boy-2as-he-sat-in-his-buggy-40440589.html

Filed under ‘Violence, abuse and attempted murder’.