Man found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity

A man with paranoid schizophrenia was suffering a psychotic episode when he stabbed a woman 100 times and attacked four other people, a jury has found at the Central Criminal Court.

Paul Cuddihy, aged 38, a former resident of St Otteran’s Hospital in Waterford, was found not guilty by reason of insanity of the murder of Maria O’Brien, 55, at St Otteran’s on September 5, 2014.

The jury reached the same unanimous verdict on four charges that Mr Cuddihy assaulted fellow hospital resident Mary Nugent and nurses Breda Fennelly, Terry Hayes and Mary Grant, causing them harm.