Man found guilty of airport rampage

A jury found a man guilty of all 12 counts against him yesterday arising out of a rampage where he drove a rescue vehicle at two planes full of passengers.

The key question in the case against Edmond Stapleton, 38, of no fixed abode and originally from Dublin Hill, Blackpool, Cork, was whether or not he was guilty by reason of insanity. The jury effectively rejected the suggestion that an underlying mental condition caused his behaviour on the day.

The jury heard lengthy evidence from two different psychiatrists at the Central Mental Hospital, which was in conflict. Dr Paul O’Connell said Stapleton’s rampage could be attributed to bipolar affective disorder. In contrast, Dr Damian Mohan said that without drugs taken by Stapleton the rampage would not have happened.