Ireland Case No. 4577Murder · Co. Kerry
Psychiatrists differ over insanity verdict in trial of Kerry man accused of killing mother
Billy Burns, 55, accepts killing his 75-year-old mother, Miriam Burns, at her Killarney home in 2022 but has pleaded not guilty to her murder by reason of insanity. Two consultant psychiatrists disagree on whether he qualifies for a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, and the trial at the Central Criminal Court continues.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In court11 Nov
5 reports - Verdict
- Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports46 statements extracted from the articles
- whatA 55-year-old Kerry man pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of his mother. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe accused is charged with murdering his 75-year-old mother in Killarney. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe victim, Miriam Burns, was found dead in the sitting room of her home. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMr Burns accepts killing his mother but denies murdering her. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe murder is alleged to have taken place at the victim's home in Killarney. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe alleged murder took place at an address in Ardshanavooley, Killarney. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe murder is alleged to have taken place at an address in Ardshanavooley, Killarney. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe killing is alleged to have happened at an address in Ardshanavooley, Killarney. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe killing is alleged to have taken place at the victim's home in Ardshanavooley, Killarney. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe killing happened at the victim's home in Ardshanavooley, Killarney, Co Kerry. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe murder is alleged to have occurred on a date between August 12th and 15th, 2022. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe murder is alleged to have happened between 12 and 15 August 2022. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe date of the killing is unknown but is alleged to be between 12 and 15 August 2022. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe killing is alleged to have happened on a date between August 12 and 15, 2022. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe killing happened between 12 and 15 August 2022. (irishtimes.com)
- causeThe deceased died from asphyxia by manual strangulation and suffered blunt force trauma to the head. (irishtimes.com)
- causeThe victim died from manual strangulation associated with blunt force trauma to the head. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe prosecution says the accused started fires at different locations around Ross Castle in an attempt to destroy items taken from his mother's house. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí arrested the accused on August 16, 2022 and interviewed him at Killarney Garda Station. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGarda forensic teams found the remnants of four fires in the Ross Castle area that had been started by the accused. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationA rucksack found at a nearby house contained a cushion with blood staining that matched the victim's DNA. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeBilly Burns is charged with murdering Miriam Burns, aged 75. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeBilly Burns is charged with murdering Miriam Burns. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeBilly Burns is charged with murdering his mother, Miriam Burns, 75. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeThe accused is charged with murdering Miriam Burns, aged 75. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeMr Burns has pleaded not guilty to his mother's murder by reason of insanity. (irishtimes.com)
- courtBurns was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court and replied not guilty by reason of insanity. (irishtimes.com)
- courtA jury of eight men and four women was sworn in to hear the trial. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe trial is expected to conclude by the end of the following week, but could run one or two days longer. (irishtimes.com)
- courtBilly Burns was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtBilly Burns replied not guilty by reason of insanity when the murder charge was put to him. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtA jury of eight men and four women was sworn in. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe trial is expected to conclude by the end of the following week. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe prosecution, led by Sean Guerin SC, gave its opening speech at the trial on Wednesday. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe accused has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe accused accepts he committed the acts that resulted in his mother's death but says he was seriously psychiatrically ill at the time. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe trial is continuing. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe trial continues before a jury of eight men and four women. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtMr Burns is on trial at the Central Criminal Court. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe property where the murder is alleged to have taken place was the victim's home address. (irishtimes.com)
- otherCounsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions is Sean Guerin SC. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherBilly Burns is a native of County Kerry and had been living in or around Killarney. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe jury has heard that the accused accepts that he killed his mother. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherPsychiatrists for the State and the defence agree the accused was in a manic episode related to bipolar disorder when he killed his mother. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherDr Morgan said Mr Burns was suffering from a relapse of bipolar affective disorder when he assaulted his mother. (irishtimes.com)
- otherDr Monks found Mr Burns was more likely not psychotic when he killed his mother, though he was manic or hypomanic and intoxicated. (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 15 Nov2025Psychiatrists differ over insanity verdict in case of Kerry man who killed mother
Court report on the trial. Covers expert psychiatric evidence on the insanity plea: Dr Eugene Morgan for the defence and Dr Stephen Monks for the prosecution differ. The article refers to the accused as Mr Burns and names him as Billy Burns in a caption.
victim, Miriam Burns, 75, female, irish (judged from name)Miriam Burnsaccused, Billy Burns, 55, male, named, irish (judged from name)Billy Burns - 14 Nov2025Man told gardai 'I didn't kill the b***h' after mum found dead, court hears
Reports the trial opening: family evidence of abuse, the accused's police interview in which he denied killing his mother, forensic evidence from fires and a rucksack, and the defence's insanity plea. The accused accepts he killed his mother, and psychiatrists for both sides agree he was in a manic episode.
accused, Billy Burns, 55, male, named, irish (judged from name)Billy Burnsvictim, Miriam Burns, 75, female, irish (judged from name)Miriam Burns - 12 Nov2025Woman killed by son told daughter he was ‘psychotic’ and needed help, trial to hear
Trial opening statements. The accused admits the acts that caused the death but says he was seriously psychiatrically ill; the trial continues.
accused, Billy Burns, 55, male, named, irish (judged from name)Billy Burnsvictim, Miriam Burns, 75, female, irish (judged from name)Miriam Burns - 11 Nov2025Kerry man pleads not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of his mother
Covers the arraignment and jury empanelment at the Central Criminal Court in the murder trial. No existing case matches this one.
accused, Billy Burns, 55, male, named, irish (judged from name)Billy Burnsvictim, Miriam Burns, 75, female, irish (judged from name)Miriam Burns - 11 Nov2025Kerry man pleads not guilty by reason of insanity to murder of his mother
Reports the arraignment and the swearing in of the jury for the trial. The accused pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and the trial is expected to run into the following week.
accused, Billy Burns, 55, male, named, irish (judged from name)Billy Burnsvictim, Miriam Burns, 75, female, irish (judged from name)Miriam Burns