Financial pressure made man attempt to kill daughter after she asked for €5

A middle-aged man under serious financial pressure snapped and tried to kill his daughter by holding a rag to her mouth after she asked him for €5.

The man was in fear his family would end in penury because of his inability to make enough money to provide for them.

He was put on trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday on charges of falsely imprisoning his 14-year-old daughter and assault causing harm to her.

A jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity on the charges after 15 minutes of deliberation.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin had told the jury the psychiatric evidence from the prosecution and the defence all pointed in the same direction.

The parties to this case are not identified for legal reasons arising from the Children’s Act.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Stephen Monk said, after examining the accused man in relation to the violent incident: “It was an impulse, an animal part taking over, he could not stop himself doing what he was doing.”

The psychiatrist said the man had felt terrible guilt about his family ending in penury and small things like one of his children asking him for €5 or looking at his roof and seeing that it needed repair caused him to blame himself and worry excessively.

Dr Monk said when he tried to kill his daughter the accused knew what he was doing, but he did not know it was wrong and was unable to stop it.

“The simple demand for €5 triggered an extreme response,” Dr Monk said in a written statement prepared for the prosecution.

Dr Eugene Cassidy, consultant psychiatrist, said, immediately after the attack, which ended when his daughter pulled his hair to get him away, and him kissing her and saying he was sorry, he then went away and cut his wrist.

The man’s family hugged and smiled when the verdict was delivered.

The accused was remanded to the Central Mental Hospital for assessment and will be back before Cork Circuit Criminal Court on March 11.