Judge will have regard for man’s psychiatric state

The judge sentencing a man who is charged with having thousands of images of child pornography at a house in Cork five years ago said he must have regard for the profound psychiatric illness of the accused.

Niall O’Brien, aged 43, was before Cork Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing yesterday after pleading guilty to the offence on February 9, 2010, when he was living at 103 Ardbhaile, Mayfield, Cork, when he knowingly had in his possession child pornography consisting of 229 image files and 2,145 movie files.

Defence barrister Tim O’Connor said O’Brien had a severe psychiatric disorder — schizophrenia.