A MAN from Co. Louth who killed his parents and younger brother has been found guilty of manslaughter by diminished responsibility.
Robert O’Connor, 32, stabbed his father Mark, 54, mother Louise, 56, and 27-year-old brother Evan at their home at Drumgowna, Tallanstown last September.
He had pleaded not guilty to murder by reason of insanity or guilty of manslaughter by diminished responsibility.
Psychiatric experts for both the prosecution and defence said that O’Connor had suffered from a relapse of schizophrenia when he stabbed his parents and brother a combined 139 times.
The experts also agreed that O’Connor met the criteria for verdicts of guilty of manslaughter by diminished responsibility.
However, the defence team argued that O’Connor met the criteria for special verdicts of not guilty by reason of insanity, a view opposed by the prosecution’s expert witness.
At the Central Criminal Court today, a jury deliberated for more than four hours before returning unanimous verdicts of manslaughter by diminished responsibility on each of the three counts.
O’Connor was remanded in custody until his sentencing hearing on December 14.
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