Woman was a 'misdiagnosed schizophrenic'

A woman on trial for the murder of her eight-year-old son was a "misdiagnosed schizophrenic" and could have recovered "if she had been listened to", a murder trial jury heard today.

Dr Brian McCaffrey, a specialist in forensic psychiatry was giving evidence in defence at the trial of Ms Jacqueline Costello (30), formerly from Woodlawn Grove, Waterford. Ms Costello has pleaded not guilty to the murder of her eldest son Robert on 28 October 2000.

Dr Caffrey told Mr Paddy Mc Carthy SC for the defence that since 1995, Dr Derek O'Sullivan consultant psychiatrist to the accused had been treating her with medication for depression, not for schizophrenia.

"She was given different types of medication for depression... coming on twelve months after a delivery, it couldn't have been 'baby blues'," he said. Ms Costello's partner Stephen O'Keeffe has already told the court that Dr O'Sullivan told him on a number of occasions that Ms Costello's mental state was a "delayed result" of post natal depression.

An examination of medical reports showed that as far back as 1996 the accused was concerned about her mental state and wanted to know more about her mother's schizophrenia, Dr Caffrey said. The accused had also told him Dr Caffrey that she had suffered a sexual assault and was raped when she was younger.

Reading from Dr O'Sullivan's notes he said: "I felt those two lines had the diagnosis staring at me; she wanted to know about her mother's schizophrenia and mentions the sexual abuse at the age of ten," he said. "Nothing specifically was done to deal with the possibility of schizophrenia or the

effects of sexual abuse."

At one stage Dr O'Sullivan did prescribe a drug for the treatment of schizophrenia and Ms Costello "responded well" to it. "To me that was a clue to the diagnosis, it was not for the treatment of depression, but she responded," Dr Caffrey said. This drug was discontinued and she resumed

taking anti-depressants and mood stabilisers.

The doctor said that "if she had been listened to" the illness could have been properly treated and was "recoverable". "Jackie obviously was disappointed with not being listened to," he said.

He said that Ms Costello should not have been allowed to leave Waterford Regional Hospital on the morning of the young boy's death. "She should have been admitted, she should have been detained as an involuntary patient and committed," he said.

Dr Caffrey told the court that when Ms Costello strangled and suffocated her son she "felt she was doing the right thing" that there was an "evil spirit inside Robert".

"She was actually killing Robert but she didn't realise it, she could not have been persuaded to stop," he said. "She was so psychotic that she felt she was doing the right thing,". The only explanation for the killing was "psychosis causing insanity", he added.

Under cross-examination Dr Caffrey was asked by Ms Miriam Reynolds SC for the prosecution if the accused should have diagnosed as schizophrenic, he replied, "I just don't know, I'm surprised that she wasn't diagnosed.... He got it wrong"

The trial continues tomorrow.