Axe Attack Man Found Not Guilty

A man with "text book" paranoid schizophrenia has been found not guilty of killing his uncle in an axe attack by reason of insanity at the Central Criminal Court.

The jury of six men and six women took just under three hours to find Henry McLaren, aged 34, of Edenmore Drive, Raheny not guilty of murdering his uncle, Thomas Demspey at Edenmore Drive on February 10, 2007.

A consultant psychiatrist for Mr McLarnen told the court on Tuesday he believed the accused was suffering from mental illness during the murder. He said: "I don't have any doubt that on the day his uncle was killed Henry McLaren was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and his actions were driven by the illness."

Professor Marie Cassidy told prosecuting counsel Mr Patrick Gageby SC that Mr Dempsey died from massive head injuries and had been struck at least twenty times with an axe, causing a large hole in the left side of his skull and severely damaging his brain.

At the time of the killing, Mr McLaren thought that Jimi Hendrix had told him his uncle was the devil. He thought that his uncle wanted to die and boxer Jack Dempsey had been speaking through his uncle's mouth and had wanted to kill him.

Mr McLaren also believed that he was a world champion golfer and his father was hindering his career. He told psychiatrists that the Central Mental Hospital was going to build him a golf course. Mr Justice Barry White thanked the jury for their careful attention and excused them from further jury service for life. He ordered that Mr McLaren be committed to the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum.

(DW/JM)