West Cork man charged with attempted murder of his mother

Gearóid Coughlan arriving at Bandon Court House on Wednesday. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

A man has been charged with the attempted murder of his mother at the family home in Innishannon earlier this year, and with an assault causing her serious harm in the same incident.

Gearóid Coughlan, 31, of Ballycoughlan, Innishannon, had already been charged with assault causing harm when he allegedly attacked his mother, Mary, on the evening of June 4 last.

However, at Bandon District Court, Inspector Dave Callaghan said the State was applying to have that charge withdrawn, with Mr Coughlan now having been charged with attempted murder and the assault causing serious harm contrary to Section 4 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.

Detective Garda Peter Nolan of Bandon Garda Station told Judge James McNulty that at 1.50pm on Wednesday he had arrested Mr Coughlan at North Main St in Bandon for the purposes of charging him. Det Garda Nolan told the judge that at 1.52pm he put the new charges to Mr Coughlan and cautioned him, and he had made no reply.

Judge James McNulty granted an order sought by gardaí that Mr Coughlan be remanded in custody to the next available sitting of the Central Criminal Court. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

With the consent of Mr Coughlan's solicitor, Plunkett Taaffe, Judge McNulty granted an order sought by gardaí that Mr Coughlan be remanded in custody to the next available sitting of the Central Criminal Court, where any issue over fitness to plea will be determined. Judge McNulty also granted legal aid for senior and junior counsel at the Central Criminal Court.

Mary Coughlan underwent emergency surgery following the stabbing incident in her home in June and has since been released from hospital.

Two charges of theft

Separately, the court heard Mr Coughlan was also facing two charges of theft – of six cans of beer, and of five cans of beer and a bottle of gin, from Aldi in Dunmanway on May 28 and 29 last – and that since there were issues about him being put on his election on those charges, gardaí were seeking an order that Mr Coughlan be remanded in custody and the charges be sent forward to the next sittings of Cork Circuit Court, likely to be September 2 next, where any issues of fitness to plea will be determined regarding those charges.

With the consent of Mr Taaffe, Judge McNulty granted the order and granted legal aid to Mr Coughlan for one junior counsel in the Circuit Court.

Before the applications for, and granting of, the various orders relating to the different charges, a High Court judgment was provided to Judge McNulty by Mr Taaffe, arising out of a three-day hearing in the High Court last week.

Central Mental Hospital

That related to whether or not Mr Coughlan's detention in recent months had been lawful or whether it had been contrary to his human rights, as earlier court sittings had heard Mr Coughlan's legal representatives had sought to have him admitted to the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, but there was no place available.

Judge McNulty and Mr Taaffe agreed that the judgment, produced within 24 hours of the conclusion of that High Court hearing, had found Mr Coughlan's rights had not been breached and that his detention had not been unlawful.

Judge McNulty summarised that the High Court had found the detention to have been "the least worst option", on the basis that any release on bail into the community could have worsened Mr Coughlan's mental condition, on the basis that he may have become homeless, his circumstances would have been "more chaotic", he may not have used his medication, and may not have seen his GP.