Psychiatrist did not consult accused's wife or family, court hears

A consultant psychiatrist who said a father accused of the murder of his 20-month-old son was not insane did not interview the man’s wife or family and did not speak to any of the professionals who had dealt with him around the time of the killing, a jury has heard.

Mr Yusif Ali Abdi (aged 30), a refugee from Somalia, with an address at The Elms, College Road, Clane, Co Kildare, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of the murder of his son, Nathan Baraka Andrew Ali on April 17, 2001 in the apartment at College Road, Clane.

Two consultant psychiatrists called by the defence have told the trial they believe Yusif Ali Abdi was schizophrenic at the time of the killing.

But a consultant psychiatrist at the Central Mental Hospital, Dr Damien Mohan, has disputed their diagnosis and said that in his opinion, Mr Ali Abdi was not legally insane.

However, it emerged in cross-examination today that Dr Mohan did not speak to the accused man’s wife, Ms Amanda Bailey, who has given evidence supporting Mr Ali Abdi’s account of suffering hallucinations and acting strangely prior to the killing.

Dr Mohan also agreed that he did not speak to any of the professional doctors who had treated Mr Abdi in the years and months before the killing.

Dr Mohan said he did not support the diagnosis that Mr Yusif Ali Abi was psychotic because it was based largely on what he called 'self-reporting', where he said there was an over-reliance on Mr Abdi’s own accounts to reach the diagnosis.

He told the trial jury that he would prefer to see "independent verifiable and observable evidence" of psychotic symptoms.

He also agreed that he did not have access to and did not ask for clinical notes from the Mater Hospital which included a note of Mr Ali Abdi complaining of hearing voices inside his head.

But he agreed with defence lawyer Mr Tom O’Connell SC that he had not spoken to any of the professionals who might have provided that independent verification.

The accused man’s wife, Ms Bailey became upset and walked out of court in the middle of the doctor’s evidence.

She returned later as his cross-examination continues in the Central Criminal Court trial.