A Russian woman has been charged in New York with poisoning a look-alike with a tranquilliser-laced cheesecake and then stealing her passport, cash and other property after trying to make it look like a suicide attempt.

St Vincent’s Hospital was aware no bed was available for a suicidal man having homicidal thoughts when it transferred him on to his local mental health service for assessment, a consultant psychiatrist has claimed.

A 29-year-old man died six days after hitting his head on the ground after receiving a punch from his girlfriend’s brother, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has heard.