Stephen Silver was 'hostile' to gardaí and didn’t appreciate 'gravity of his circumstances'

Dr Brenda Wright, interim clinical director at the Central Mental Hospital, said Mr Silver displayed evidence of grandiosity and an idea that he was a person of particular importance and that he had “special skills and abilities”.

The psychiatrist said it was her view that at the time of the offence Stephen Silver (pictured) was mentally unwell, secondary to non-compliance with medication, and was experiencing a manic relapse of his condition. File picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

Garda murder accused Stephen Silver was at times facetious, contemptuous and hostile toward detectives during interview, with the level of incongruence in his "grossly inappropriate behaviour" indicative of mental illness at that time, a psychiatrist has told the Central Criminal Court.

Giving evidence to defence counsel Domnic McGinn SC on Friday, Dr Brenda Wright, interim clinical director at the Central Mental Hospital, said the grandiose ideas displayed by Mr Silver and his disinhibited behaviour, including taking his shoes off and massaging his feet whilst being interviewed, showed Mr Silver was incongruous to the situation he found himself in.