Ireland Case No. 23479Murder (not guilty by reason of insanity) · Co. Dublin · 23 Aug 2020
Brendan Murray remanded to Central Mental Hospital after insanity verdict in mother's murder
Brendan Murray, 63, of Clontarf, Dublin, was found not guilty of the murder of his 88-year-old mother Neasa Murray by reason of insanity at the Central Criminal Court and was remanded to the Central Mental Hospital pending a psychiatric report. The jury heard he had schizoaffective disorder and did not know his actions were wrong when he killed her in August 2020.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In court15 Dec
3 reports - Acquitted20 Dec
3 reports - Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports94 statements extracted from the articles
- whatMurray told gardaí he had no choice but to kill his mother because God told him to do it (irishtimes.com)
- whatMurray told gardaí he was told by the Holy Spirit to punch and choke his mother before allegedly sexually assaulting her (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe court heard there was no evidence Murray had committed a sexual assault on the victim (irishtimes.com)
- whatNeasa Murray was a mother of five who lived at Kincora Drive and acted in a carer role for her son (irishtimes.com)
- whatA neighbour assisted Murray in ringing his mother as he said he was locked out and wanted a key (irishtimes.com)
- whatA neighbour told gardaí that Murray said God had told him to stop taking his medication and with the help of God he would get better (irishtimes.com)
- whatMs Murray arrived, went into the house with her son, then came back out and got into her car (irishtimes.com)
- whatMurray put his hand on his mother's wrist and she went back into the house (irishtimes.com)
- whatAnother neighbour heard screaming from the house and Murray screaming at his mother (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe neighbour got her husband to ring the gardaí after hearing Ms Murray being attacked (irishtimes.com)
- whatWhen gardaí arrived, Murray opened the door with blood on his trousers, jumper and hands (irishtimes.com)
- whatMurray told gardaí he had killed his mother (irishtimes.com, thejournal.ie)
- whatGardaí found Ms Murray lying face up covered in blood with a lot of blood on the floor surrounding her (irishtimes.com)
- whatIt was immediately clear Ms Murray had been the subject of a violent incident with no prospect of saving her (irishtimes.com)
- whatWhen arrested, Murray struggled in his seat, shouted abusively and prayed out loud (irishtimes.com)
- whatGardaí thought Murray was having a heart attack but he was in fact masturbating (irishtimes.com)
- whatMurray told Gardaí he had no choice but to kill his mother as God told him to do it (thejournal.ie)
- whatMurray told Gardaí he was told by the Holy Spirit to punch and choke his mother (thejournal.ie)
- whatMurray alleged he sexually assaulted his mother (thejournal.ie)
- whatThere was no evidence of a sexual assault on the victim (thejournal.ie, irishtimes.com)
- whatNeasa Murray was a mother of five who lived at Kincora Drive and acted as a carer for her son (thejournal.ie)
- whatMurray was gathering bins and using a crutch as though it were a rifle (thejournal.ie)
- whatMurray told a neighbour that God had told him to stop taking his medication (thejournal.ie)
- whatMurray opened the door with blood on his trousers, jumper and hands (thejournal.ie)
- whatMs Murray was found lying face up covered in blood with a pool of blood above her head (thejournal.ie)
- whatMurray struggled in his seat, shouted abusively and prayed out loud at the Garda station (thejournal.ie)
- whatMurray told Gardaí he had to do it, God made him do it, he was in the special forces and had Lyme disease (thejournal.ie)
- whatMurray told Gardaí the Holy Spirit directed him to box his mother nine times and choke her (thejournal.ie)
- whatMurray had no previous convictions (thejournal.ie)
- whatBrendan Murray is 63 years old (rte.ie)
- whatBrendan Murray told gardaí he had to do it and God made him do it (rte.ie)
- whatForensic psychiatrist Dr Brenda Wright testified that Mr Murray was undergoing a psychotic episode and was legally insane at the time (rte.ie)
- whatHis mental disorder meant he did not know what he was doing was wrong (rte.ie)
- whatProsecuting counsel Anne Marie Lawlor described the case as deeply tragic (rte.ie)
- whatMr Murray was seen outside his house by neighbours, dishevelled and acting erratically (rte.ie)
- whatMr Murray said he had locked himself out (rte.ie)
- whatA neighbour rang his mother who lived nearby and she arrived shortly afterwards (rte.ie)
- whatAnother neighbour rang gardaí after hearing Mr Murray screaming at his mother (rte.ie)
- whatMr Murray rang gardaí and said he had killed his mother and sexually abused her (rte.ie)
- whatMr Murray answered the door covered in blood when gardaí arrived (rte.ie)
- whatFergus Murray told gardaí his brother had been highly functioning up until the 1980s when his health deteriorated (rte.ie)
- whatBrendan Murray spent time in a psychiatric hospital in March and April 2020 (rte.ie)
- whatThe hospital encouraged him to stay on when his involuntary treatment ended but he refused (rte.ie)
- whatFergus Murray said he had never seen his brother raise a hand to anyone (rte.ie)
- whatBrendan Murray was found not guilty of the murder of his elderly mother by reason of insanity. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe accused told gardaí he was told by the Holy Spirit to punch and choke his mother before he alleged he sexually assaulted her. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThere was no dispute that the accused had schizoaffective disorder. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe killing took place at his home in Clontarf (rte.ie)
- whereThe body of Neasa Murray was found at Kincora Court in Clontarf, Dublin 3. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe incident occurred at Kincora Court, Clontarf, Dublin 3. (irishtimes.com)
- whenHe killed his 88-year-old mother Neasa Murray on 23 August 2020 (rte.ie)
- whenOn the evening of 23 August 2020, Murray was seen outside his house by neighbours, dishevelled and acting erratically (rte.ie)
- whenThe body was found on 23 August 2020. (irishtimes.com)
- whenBrendan Murray killed his 88-year-old mother Neasa Murray on 23 August 2020 (rte.ie)
- whenThe murder took place on 23 August 2020. (irishtimes.com)
- causePost-mortem found she died due to asphyxia and multiple blows to her head (rte.ie)
- causePostmortem revealed cause of death as asphyxia due to mechanical obstruction of the airway and blunt force trauma to the head (irishtimes.com, thejournal.ie)
- causeHe was suffering a psychotic episode due to schizo-affective disorder at the time of the killing. (irishtimes.com)
- causeThe post-mortem found Neasa Murray died due to asphyxia and multiple blows to her head (rte.ie)
- chargeHe pleaded not guilty to murder by reason of insanity (rte.ie)
- chargeMurray pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of Neasa Murray, 88, at Kincora Court on 23 August 2020 (irishtimes.com)
- chargeMurray pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of Neasa Murray (thejournal.ie)
- chargeBrendan Murray pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe prosecution said there was no controversy over what happened or who did it, only whether Murray met the criteria for insanity (irishtimes.com)
- courtAnne-Marie Lawlor SC opened the case for the prosecution (thejournal.ie)
- courtThe defence will call psychiatrist Dr Brenda Wright to give expert evidence (thejournal.ie)
- courtThe trial is before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury of eight men and four women (thejournal.ie)
- courtBrendan Murray was found not guilty by reason of insanity by a jury at the Central Criminal Court. (irishtimes.com)
- courtMs Justice Eileen Creedon presided over the trial. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury took less than 30 minutes to return their verdict. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe standard of proof for the insanity defence is on the balance of probabilities. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe case was heard at the Central Criminal Court before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe court directed the accused be detained at the hospital until 28 December. (irishtimes.com)
- otherBrendan Murray suffered from schizoaffective disorder (rte.ie)
- otherHe told gardaí he had to do it and God made him do it (rte.ie)
- otherThe jury was told there was no controversy about what happened or who did it (rte.ie)
- otherProsecuting counsel Anne Marie Lawlor described it as a deeply tragic case (rte.ie)
- otherConsultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Brenda Wright would say Murray had a mental disorder and did not know what he was doing was wrong (rte.ie)
- otherThere was no contrary opinion on the mental disorder (rte.ie)
- otherThere had been no indication he would become violent or attack his mother (rte.ie)
- otherHis mother was involved in caring for him (rte.ie)
- otherHe told a neighbour he had locked himself out of his house (rte.ie)
- otherA neighbour rang his mother, who lived nearby and arrived shortly afterwards (rte.ie)
- otherAnother neighbour rang gardaí after hearing Murray screaming at his mother (rte.ie)
- otherHe rang gardaí himself and said he had killed his mother and sexually abused her (rte.ie)
- otherHe alleged his mother had abused him in previous years but this was one of a number of delusions (rte.ie)
- otherWhen gardaí arrived, Murray answered the door covered in blood (rte.ie)
- otherA sexual assault could not be ruled out but there was no evidence of such an assault (rte.ie)
- otherThe defence will call psychiatrist Dr Brenda Wright to give expert view that Murray had schizoaffective disorder and did not know what he was doing was wrong (irishtimes.com)
- otherMurray believed he was being directed by God or the holy spirit. (irishtimes.com)
- otherNeasa Murray lived at Kincora Drive. (irishtimes.com)
- otherProsecution counsel was Anne-Marie Lawlor. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe psychiatric report may be available on 28 December. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe court could extend the period of committal not to exceed six months. (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 21 Dec2022Man who killed elderly mother remanded to Central Mental Hospital
Reports the post-verdict remand of Brendan Murray to Central Mental Hospital until 28 December 2022, and provides details of the trial evidence including the cause of death, the accused's statements to gardaí, and the psychiatric evidence.
victim, Neasa Murray, 88, female, irish (judged from name)Neasa Murrayaccused, Brendan Murray, 63, male, named, irish (judged from name)Brendan Murray - 20 Dec2022Man not guilty of mother's murder by reason of insanity
Reports the verdict in detail, including the jury's deliberation time (less than 30 minutes), the forensic psychiatrist's evidence, the post-mortem findings (asphyxia and multiple blows to the head), the sequence of events on the evening of the killing, and the defence counsel's remarks.
victim, 88, female, irish (judged from name)suspect, Brendan Murray, 63, male, named, irish (judged from name)Brendan Murray - 20 Dec2022Man who killed mother found not guilty by reason of insanity
Provides details of the trial proceedings including the judge's directions to the jury, closing arguments from both sides, the jury's deliberation time of less than 30 minutes, and the commitment to Central Mental Hospital.
victim, Neasa Murray, 88, female, irish (judged from name)Neasa Murrayaccused, Brendan Murray, 63, male, named, irish (judged from name)Brendan Murray - 15 Dec2022Murder accused told Gardaí that God told him to kill his mother
Reports on the prosecution's opening and Detective Sergeant David Ennis's evidence at the Central Criminal Court, including Murray's statements to Gardaí that God and the Holy Spirit told him to kill his mother, and the post-mortem findings.
victim, Neasa Murray, 88, female, irish (judged from name)Neasa Murrayaccused, Brendan Murray, 63, male, named, irish (judged from name)Brendan Murray - 15 Dec2022Man accused of murdering elderly mother believed he was directed by God, court hears
Reports the prosecution's opening and Det Sgt Ennis's evidence at the Central Criminal Court trial, including Murray's statements to gardaí about God directing him, the scene of the crime, the postmortem findings, and his behaviour at the Garda station.
victim, Neasa Murray, 88, female, irish (judged from name)Neasa Murrayaccused, Brendan Murray, 63, male, named, irish (judged from name)Brendan Murray - 15 Dec2022Man 'had mental disorder' when he killed elderly mother
Reports on the opening of the trial at the Central Criminal Court, including prosecution evidence on Murray's mental state, the circumstances of the killing, the post-mortem findings, and testimony from neighbours and his brother Fergus Murray.
victim, Neasa Murray, 88, female, irish (judged from name)Neasa Murraysuspect, Brendan Murray, 63, male, named, irish (judged from name)Brendan Murray