Accused knew victim was a man - not the devil, court told

A forensic psychiatrist has said that a man accused of murder knew what he was doing was wrong when he killed a student, whom he said was the devil.

Dr Sally Linehan, of the Central Mental Hospital, was giving evidence to the Central Criminal Court in the trial of the farmer charged with murdering the 21-year-old on his farm.

Joe Heffernan (aged 33) of Cappagh Beg, Barefield, Ennis has pleaded not guilty to murdering Eoin Ryan at that address on June 7, 2011.

The body of the law student from Newhall, Clare was found in a barrel on the farm that morning, after Mr Heffernan rang gardai to say he had killed the devil.

Mr Ryan died from severe and extensive trauma to his head, with blunt force trauma to his neck and chest a contributory factor.

Dr Linehan testified today that she had interviewed Mr Heffernan three times since the incident and had studied his records from his time in the Central Mental Hospital following his arrest.

She said he was suffering from an adjustment disorder, which occurred in the aftermath of a stressful life event and was characterised by depressive symptoms.

She said the death of Mr Heffernan’s father the previous year was the obvious life event in his case.

She said that Mr Heffernan’s symptoms were complicated by alcohol misuse.

Bernard Condon SC, prosecuting, asked her if the accused satisfied the criteria for insanity under the Criminal Law Act.

She said that although adjustment disorder was a mental disorder, Mr Heffernan did not satisfy the other criteria.

She said he understood the nature and quality of his actions, noting that he told gardaí that a man had come onto him and he had killed this man.

“He knew it was a man,” she said.

“In my opinion, he did know that what he was doing was wrong,” she continued, referring to the second criterion for the defence of insanity.

She noted that he had told gardai that he was not going to prison, showing an awareness that a crime had been committed.

She further noted that Mr Heffernan had made efforts to conceal items by burning Mr Ryan’s clothes afterwards.

“I’m not satisfied the adjustment disorder rendered him unable to refrain,” she said, referring to the third criterion for the insanity defence.

Mr Condon also asked her about the possibility of diminished responsibility, which could provide for someone with a mental disorder being found guilty of manslaughter rather than murder.

“That’s a matter for the jury,” she noted, before giving her opinion.

“I’m not satisfied that his mental disorder was such to substantially diminish responsibility,” she said.

“In my opinion, he had the capacity to form intent,” she added.

Dr Linehan will be cross examined by the defence tomorrow, when the trial continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of seven women and five men.