Corkman accused of murdering brother Shane Murphy while 'in acute psychotic state', court told

The court was told that above anything else this was a family tragedy for the man who lost his life saving his father’s life, for the family who remain and indeed for the accused man himself

John Murphy Jnr of Seaview Avenue, Carrigaline, County Cork, was charged with the murder of his 27-year-old brother, Shane Murphy (pictured).

Psychiatrists for the prosecution and defence both agreed that the 43-year-old Carrigaline man accused of murdering his brother and attempting to murder his father was in an an acute psychotic state as a result of schizophrenic illness at the time.

This evidence was presented in a case where the issue the jury will have to decide is whether the accused man is not guilty by reason of insanity.

On Tuesday, they heard evidence from clinical psychiatrists, Dr Stephen Monks and Dr Jamie Walsh, for the defence and prosecution, respectively, that the accused man, John Murphy jnr. was in an acute psychotic state as a result of schizophrenic illness at the time, that his judgement was significantly impaired and he was suffering delusions and hallucinations and had lost touch with reality.

Jane Hyland, prosecution senior counsel, told the jury that in effect there was agreement between the prosecution and defence about the psychiatric evidence in the case.

In the course of her address to the jury, she said that above anything else this was a family tragedy for the man who lost his life saving his father’s life, for the family who remain and indeed for the accused man himself.

43-year-old John Murphy Jnr of Seaview Avenue, Carrigaline, County Cork, is charged with the murder of his 27-year-old brother, Shane Murphy, and the attempted murder of his father, John Aloysius “Weeshie” Murphy Snr, who was 75 at the time at the family home on Saturday, March 26, 2022, contrary to Common Law.

Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford will conclude her address to the jury of five women and seven men who will have to decide if the accused man is not guilty by reason of insanity.

Detective Garda Ian Breen outlined the background to the events in the early hours of that morning when the accused man stabbed his brother nine times causing his death and stabbed his father multiple times too in attempted murder.

When interviewed by gardaí the accused man “continuously accused gardaí of manipulating airwaves in the interview room”. He made a series of allegations against several members of his family, all of which gardaí believed were without any basis. These included allegations that his life was being threatened.

For instance, he said that a week earlier the freezer had been defrosted and that the reason for this was because he was going to be killed and his body was going to be put into the freezer.

As for placing the knife beside Shane’s body in the bedroom, he said: “I set up to make it look like Shane killed my dad. I am ashamed of that.” 

As well as the murder and attempted murder charges he is charged with two counts of producing a knife during the incidents.