Ireland Crime

Defence psychiatrist Dr Fiona Toal testifies that O'Connor was in a relapse of schizophrenia, met criteria for not guilty by reason of insanity, and that his father had warned a social worker a decade earlier about family safety concerns. Both psychiatrists agree diminished responsibility is made out. Trial continues before Judge Mícheál P O'Higgins.

Defence psychiatrist Dr Fiona Toal gave evidence that O'Connor was experiencing a relapse of schizophrenia at the time of the offence and meets criteria for not guilty by reason of insanity; both psychiatrists agree diminished responsibility is made out; father had reported serious safety concerns to a social worker in 2014; O'Connor stopped medication in August 2025 and took cocaine mixed with mephedrone in the 24 hours before the offence.

Jury heard the second and third garda interviews in which O'Connor described dragging his victims to the garden, his delusional beliefs about saving souls and 'programming reality', his statement that he only realised what he had done hours later, and his consumption of methodrone the following morning. Cross-examination established the killings appeared to have occurred around 6.30pm to 7pm on 28 September 2025.

Reports the jury hearing the accused's first interview with gardaí, in which he described the sequence of events including his cocaine use, the stabbing, his mother's request to let Evan go, and his belief that his brother's iPad 'changed the reality'. Also includes testimony from friend Sander Kopanov about the accused's personality, medication issues, and employment at KTF in Dundalk.

Jury heard O'Connor's first interview account describing the sequence of events, his cocaine use, the stabbing of each victim, and his mother's plea to spare Evan. His solicitor told officers he has schizophrenia and could not remember the last time he took his medication.

Jury heard the accused's first interview at Drogheda Garda Station in which he described the events leading to and during the killings, including his mother asking him to let Evan go, and his friend Sander Kopanov's statement about O'Connor's schizophrenia and medication.

Chief State Pathologist Professor Linda Mulligan's detailed testimony on Evan O'Connor's injuries, including wound counts, defence-type injuries, and cause of death, heard at the Central Criminal Court trial.

Chief State Pathologist Linda Mulligan's detailed testimony on the postmortems of Mark and Louise O'Connor, including the number and location of wounds, positions of bodies at the scene, three knives recovered, cause of death, and the single-weapon finding. The accused's plea of not guilty by reason of insanity or guilty of manslaughter on diminished responsibility is confirmed, and the jury is told he accepts he caused the deaths.

Pathologist Linda Mulligan's detailed postmortem evidence on Mark and Louise O'Connor, including wound counts, depth, force used, and absence of defence injuries; three knives recovered; single sharp-edged weapon indicated by wound morphology.

Chief State Pathologist Linda Mulligan gave evidence on post-mortem findings for Mark and Louise O'Connor, detailing 44 and at least 20 stab wounds respectively, the nature of the attack, and the weapons used. The trial continues the following day for Evan O'Connor's post-mortem.

Pharmacist Kim Curtis gave evidence that Robert O'Connor was not taking his Aripiprazole medication and was using cocaine; his mother Louise O'Connor reported incidents of hallucinations, a knife in the sitting room, and a threat to kill, but did not contact gardaí or Turas.

Pharmacist testimony that Robert O'Connor was not taking his Aripiprazole medication and was using cocaine in the months before the murders, along with forensic evidence of mephedrone found on the accused and cocaine in his bedroom. The accused has pleaded not guilty of murder by reason of insanity or guilty of manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility.

Det Garda Gerard Nixon gave evidence about the arrest and O'Connor's statements, including his 'shoot me' outburst, his account of the killings, and his claim that a row over drugs was the cause. The trial also heard that O'Connor was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2018 and the victims sustained a combined 139 stab wounds.

Trial testimony from Detective Garda Gerard Nixon, Garda Shane O'Malley, and Detective Sergeant Paul Gill describing the encounter with the accused in Phillipstown, his statements about the killings, his mental state, and the car journey to Drogheda Garda Station. The accused was found in a black hoodie with white headphones, had dried blood on his hands but no weapon, and expressed remorse for killing his mother but not his father and brother.

Witness testimony from special-needs support worker Loreto Durrigan and neighbour Martina Malone; O'Connor pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity or guilty of manslaughter on diminished responsibility; victims sustained 139 combined stab wounds; O'Connor diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2018; trial before Justice Mícheál P O'Higgins.

Trial evidence from carer Loreto Durrigan and neighbours Martina Malone, Raymond Malone, Gerry Mallon, Sean Kerr, and Ruth Callan describing the morning of 29 September 2025, including O'Connor's statement 'Yes, I killed them', his diagnosis of schizophrenia in 2018, and his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity or guilty of manslaughter on diminished responsibility.

Prosecution opening address details the psychiatric evidence from two expert psychiatrists, forensic evidence from two scientists, the accused's statement to gardaí, and the two potential verdicts under the Criminal Law Insanity Act 2006.