Donegal man who killed parents with axe is comitted to Central Mental Hospital

A 43-year-old man from Carndonagh, County Donegal, has been committed to the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, Dublin, following a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity at the Central Criminal Court. The man stood accused of murdering his parents at their home in Churchtown in October 2014. A jury unanimously accepted his plea of insanity after less than an hour of deliberation. Evidence presented at trial established that the accused suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, experiencing delusions and auditory hallucinations in the months preceding the deaths. Justice Margaret Heneghan ordered his committal to the Central Mental Hospital, finding him to be suffering from mental disorder within the definition of the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006 and in need of inpatient psychiatric care. The judge extended sympathies to the family, commending their conduct throughout proceedings.