James Kilroy allegedly told gardaí he had killed his wife and kids. The children were found alive but his wife was later found dead in a camper van. His trial has opened at the Central Criminal Court
A 49-year-old man was found naked in a field after he allegedly killed his wife at their rural Co Mayo home nearly four years ago, a jury has heard.
Patrick Gageby SC, defending Mr Kilroy, made a number of formal admissions to the court today on behalf of his client. These included that the accused killed his wife Valerie French Kilroy, that the crime scenes were all properly preserved by gardai, that the accused was at all stages appropriately detained including any time spent in a garda station and that gardai kept and retained all exhibits appropriately.
There will be evidence, Ms Lawlor said, concerning the psychiatric state of Mr Kilroy. A person is not guilty of the offence if they were suffering from a mental disorder, she said. "That is the first hurdle, were they suffering from a mental disorder, that does not include intoxication, that's important as you will see in this case. That is the first issue you will be asked to determine," she stated.
Outlining the facts of the case, Ms Lawlor said Ms French Kilroy was a senior occupational therapist for Mayo Mental Health Services and had married the accused man in April 2008. They had been partners for the previous ten years and had three dearly loved young children, who were conceived through IVF, she said.
The court heard that later the same morning around 9.40am another man, who was also living in the Westport area, contacted gardai to say he saw a naked man in a field. She said the jury would hear a "potted account" from this witness.
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