Ireland Case No. 5545Murder · Co. Dublin · 13 Apr 2022
Woman found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity over death of her mother in Dublin 1
Moire Bergin, a 47-year-old woman with an address at Seville Place, Dublin 1, is charged with murdering her 76-year-old mother, Mary Bergin, at Mary's home on First Avenue, Seville Place, on 13 April 2022, five days after Moire was released from psychiatric care. She was found naked and bloodstained on a Dublin street and told a garda she had killed her mother. On 1 July 2024 she was arraigned at the Central Criminal Court and pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and on 3 July 2024 a jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. The latest development is that Mr Justice Paul McDermott committed her to the Central Mental Hospital, with a return date of 16 July 2024.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In court1 Jul
2 reports - Acquitted3 Jul
2 reports - Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Moire Bergin, 47, is charged with murdering her 76-year-old mother, Mary Bergin.
- The case concerns Moire Bergin's belief that her mother was the devil, the antichrist Satan, at the time of the killing.
- Where
- The killing took place at Mary Bergin's home on First Avenue, Seville Place, Dublin 1, in Dublin's north inner city.
- When
- The killing took place on 13 April 2022, five days after Moire Bergin was released from psychiatric care.
- Cause
- Mary Bergin died of significant blood loss causing organ failure.
- Two consultant forensic psychiatrists agreed Moire Bergin was suffering from bipolar affective disorder with mania, depression and psychosis at the time.
- Weapon
- A knife was used; Moire Bergin said she cut her mother's neck and throat, while another account says she stabbed her in the head and neck.
- Investigation
- Moire Bergin was found naked and bloodstained on a Dublin street and told a garda she had killed her mother.
- Moire Bergin was interviewed at Store Street Garda station, and Det Sgt John Brady of that station was to outline the facts at trial.
- Other details
- Mary Bergin made a 999 call hours before she was killed, seeking an ambulance for her daughter, who was naked in the back garden.
- Moire Bergin had been detained 16 times under the Mental Health Act since 2005 and had six psychiatric admissions between 6 March 2021 and 8 April 2022.
- Charges
- Moire Bergin was charged with murder and pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
- In court
- She was arraigned at the Central Criminal Court on 1 July 2024, and a jury of six men and six women was sworn in before Mr Justice Paul McDermott.
- The trial was expected to last up to two days, although one report describes it as a one-day trial, and the jury deliberated for one hour and seven minutes before returning its verdict on 3 July 2024.
- On 3 July 2024 the jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty of murder by reason of insanity, accepting the evidence of two consultant forensic psychiatrists.
- Sentence
- Mr Justice McDermott committed Moire Bergin to the Central Mental Hospital, with a return date of 16 July 2024, and directed a psychiatric assessment by an approved medical officer.
45 statements extracted from the articles
- whatA woman pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murdering her 76-year-old mother. (irishtimes.com)
- whatA woman is accused of murdering her 76-year-old mother. (irishtimes.com)
- whatMoire Bergin stabbed her 76-year-old mother to death in the belief she was the devil. (irishtimes.com)
- whatMs Bergin had struggled with her mental health since 2005 and was detained 16 times under the Mental Health Act before the killing. (irishtimes.com)
- whatShe had six psychiatric admissions between 6 March 2021 and 8 April 2022. (irishtimes.com)
- whatA bloodstained Ms Bergin was found naked on a Dublin street after fatally stabbing her mother in the head and neck. (irishtimes.com)
- whatA 999 call was made by Mary Bergin hours before she was killed, seeking an ambulance for her daughter who was naked in the back garden. (irishtimes.com)
- whatA woman stabbed her 76-year-old mother to death, believing she was the devil. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe killing took place in the victim's home in Dublin's north inner city. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe killing took place at a home on First Avenue, Seville Place. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe killing took place at First Avenue, Seville Place, Dublin 1. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe killing took place at the victim's home at First Avenue, Seville Place, Dublin 1. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe killing happened on April 13th, 2022. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe killing took place on 13 April 2022. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe killing occurred five days after the accused was released from psychiatric care. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe killing took place on April 13, 2022. (irishmirror.ie)
- causeThe accused fatally stabbed her mother. (irishtimes.com)
- causeThe accused was suffering from bipolar affective disorder with psychotic symptoms at the time of the killing. (irishmirror.ie)
- causeThe victim died from significant blood loss causing organ failure. (irishmirror.ie)
- weaponThe accused said she cut her mother's neck and throat with a knife. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationDet Sgt John Brady from Store Street Garda station was to outline the facts of the case during the trial. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe accused was found naked on a Dublin street after the killing and told a garda she had killed her mother. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe accused was interviewed by gardaí at Store Street Garda station. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe accused was found naked on a Dublin street and told a garda she had killed her mother. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeMoire Bergin is charged with murdering Mary Bergin. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeThe accused pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murder. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe accused was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court on a single charge of murder. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe accused entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. (irishtimes.com)
- courtA jury of six men and six women was sworn in for a trial before Mr Justice McDermott. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe trial was due to begin on Tuesday and was expected to last up to two days. (irishtimes.com)
- courtPsychiatrists agreed the accused meets the criteria for a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury of six men and six women began deliberations on Tuesday and will resume on Wednesday. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe 12 jurors accepted evidence from two consultant forensic psychiatrists that the accused was suffering from bipolar affective disorder. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury of six men and six women deliberated for one hour and seven minutes before bringing in a unanimous verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. (irishtimes.com)
- courtMr Justice McDermott made an order committing Ms Bergin to the Central Mental Hospital with a return date of 16 July. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe judge directed the preparation of a psychiatric assessment by an approved medical officer. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury found the accused not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe trial was heard at the Central Criminal Court. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe accused is due back before the court on July 16. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceThe judge committed the accused to the Central Mental Hospital. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe case concerns the accused's state of mind at the time her mother was killed. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe accused was suffering from bipolar affective disorder with symptoms of mania, depression and psychosis. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe accused had been released from hospital five days before killing her mother. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe accused believed she was killing the antichrist Satan. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe judge directed a psychiatric assessment by an approved medical officer. (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 3 Jul2024Woman who stabbed own mother to death not guilty of murder by reason of insanity
Reports the jury's not guilty by reason of insanity verdict after a one-day trial at the Central Criminal Court, the defendant's committal to the Central Mental Hospital, and the psychiatric evidence heard at trial.
accused, Moire Bergin, 47, female, named, irish (judged from name)Moire Berginvictim, Mary Bergin, 76, female, irish (judged from name)Mary Bergin - 3 Jul2024Woman who stabbed mother (76) to death found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity
Reports the unanimous jury verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity and the judge's order committing the accused to the Central Mental Hospital.
victim, Mary Bergin, 76, female, irish (judged from name)Mary Berginaccused, Moire Bergin, 47, female, named, irish (judged from name)Moire Bergin - 2 Jul2024Woman with history of mental illness killed her tirelessly supportive mother in ‘heartbreaking’ case
Trial report: psychiatric evidence, the defence closing speech, the prosecution's submission and the start of jury deliberations, which resume the next day.
accused, Moire Bergin, 47, female, named, irish (judged from name)Moire Berginvictim, Mary Bergin, 76, irish (judged from name)Mary Bergin - 1 Jul2024Woman pleads not guilty to mother’s murder by reason of insanity
First report of the case in this article: the accused was arraigned on a single murder charge and entered a not guilty by reason of insanity plea, and a jury was sworn in for a trial expected to last up to two days.
accused, Moire Bergin, 47, female, named, irish (judged from name)Moire Berginvictim, Mary Bergin, 76, female, irish (judged from name)Mary Bergin