His trial heard that, due to his mental disorder, Diego Costa Silva had come to believe that his wife was possessed by a serpent and that she would kill him
Diego Costa Silva, who cut his wife's head off while suffering from a cannabis-induced psychosis, has been found not guilty of her murder by reason of insanity by a jury at the Central Criminal Court.
The court also heard Mr Costa Silva said he had recently confessed to his wife that he had been unfaithful to her. He described to gardaí how he used four knives and took about ten minutes to remove her head As a result of his illness, he did not know the nature and quality of his actions and did not know that what he was doing was wrong, the psychiatrists said.
The garda noted cuts and grazes to his feet and said Mr Costa Silva told him he had jogged from Finglas to the city centre and that he liked to jog barefoot. When asked if he was "okay", Mr Costa Silva said he was upset and depressed following an argument with his wife. He told Garda Miley that he had recently confessed to her that he had cheated on her by kissing another woman and he suspected his wife was having an affair or affairs as revenge for what he had done.
He said he did not argue with his wife but the "fight" started because "I just felt if I didn't do it she could do it to me". When gardaí put it to him that his wife did not try to kill him, he replied that her behaviour "led me to believe she was going to try to kill me". Garda Peter Kilgallen told the trial that he arrived at Mr Costa Silva's apartment within minutes of receiving an emergency call. Members of the Garda Armed Support Unit were already there and Garda Kilgallen stood behind one of them as he knocked on the door. Mr Costa Silva answered, wearing just shorts and flip-flops. He had blood on his body and wrists, the garda said, and he told gardaí: "I think I killed my wife.
Mr Costa Silva was charged with his wife's murder and taken to Cloverhill Prison, where he was assessed by psychiatrists. Dr Mark Joynt was approached by the Director of Public Prosecutions to assess Mr Costa Silva's mental state at the time of the killing. Mr Costa Silva told Dr Joynt he had begun smoking cannabis aged 16 and from the age of 20 would smoke daily. In 2020, he said his wife told him he was smoking too much and he agreed to cut down.
Dr Joynt concluded that Mr Costa Silva was suffering from a cannabis-induced psychotic disorder, the symptoms of which included hallucinations and delusions regarding his wife. He said that he excluded intoxication as a diagnosis because the symptoms persisted for eleven days after the killing, a period in which Mr Costa Silva did not have access to drugs. He said this would not be consistent with the effects of acute intoxication from cannabis, which typically wear off within hours.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Man arrested on suspicion of murder following discovery of man's body in DublinGardaí discovered the body of a man in his 60s on Tuesday after carrying out a welfare check
Read more »
‘I lived in fear of this man’: Dublin man sent barrister sexual and threatening messagesEoghan Peavoy’s threats to the woman included voicemails saying he had ‘fantasies about killing you and all your children’ and other messages of a sexually abusive nature
Read more »
Murder accused feared wife might kill him after he confessed to cheating, trial hearsCourt hears Diego Costa Silva told gardaí ‘sometimes you have to behead somebody because this person is possessed’
Read more »
Man who killed wife in cannabis-induced psychosis found not guilty by reason of insanityDiego Costa Silva (35) pleaded not guilty to murdering Fabiola De Campos Silva (33) on November 4th, 2021 at their home in Finglas, Dublin
Read more »
What is cannabis-induced psychosis? The condition behind ‘insanity’ murder caseDiego Costa Silva began smoking cannabis aged 16 and from the age of 20 would smoke daily, the trial heard
Read more »
Man accused of decapitating wife had cannabis induced psychosis, court hearsA psychiatrist said Diego Costa Silva believed that after attacking his wife, Fabiola Camara De Campos Silva, he had to remove her head as he believed she was possessed by a serpent
Read more »