Robert O’Connor murder trial continues in Co Louth

The trial of Robert O’Connor, who is accused of murdering his parents, Mark and Louise, and his younger brother, Evan, in Drumgowna, Co Louth, has continued in the Central Criminal Court. O’Connor has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity or, alternatively, guilty of manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility.

O’Connor accepts that he caused the deaths of his three family members, who sustained a combined 139 stab wounds. While expert psychiatrists agree that O’Connor was experiencing a relapse of schizophrenia at the time of the killings, they disagree on the legal verdict. The defense psychiatrist testified that O’Connor met the criteria for a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, arguing he did not know his actions were wrong.

In contrast, the prosecution’s expert, Dr. Ronan Mullaney, testified that while O’Connor’s responsibility may have been substantially diminished, he knew what he was doing was wrong and was not unable to stop himself. Dr. Mullaney cited cocaine use and a failure to take medication as significant factors. The jury has also been shown video footage of Garda interviews to assess the defendant’s demeanor following the incident.