Sister of garda murder accused knew 'unwell' brother needed psychiatric treatment, court told

Stephen Silver's sister told the trial she knew there was "an element of paranoia" in what he was saying in the phone call a day before the shooting

Marian Bruen said that when she spoke to her brother Stephen Silver (pictured) on the phone, "he sounded really, really, really hyper-stressed, he was speaking really fast." File picture: Michael McCormack/PA

The sister of the man accused of murdering Detective Garda Colm Horkan knew her brother was becoming mentally unwell the day before the shooting and planned to have him admitted to a psychiatric hospital, the Central Criminal Court has heard.

Marian Bruen, a schoolteacher, told Stephen Silver's trial that when she spoke to her brother on the phone, "he sounded really, really, really hyper-stressed, he was speaking really fast."