Robert O’Connor denies murder charges at Central Criminal Court

Robert O’Connor, 32, appeared before the Central Criminal Court on Thursday charged with the murder of his parents and brother.

The Drumgowna, Dundalk, County Louth man pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to all three murder counts and also entered a plea of guilty to manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility.

According to Courts Correspondent Frank Greaney on Newstalk Breakfast, the jury heard that O’Connor admits causing the deaths of his parents, Louise and Mark O’Connor, and his younger brother, Evan, at the family home sometime between 28 and 29 September last year.

Prosecution barrister Roisin Lacey told jurors that neighbours reported shouting and screaming from the house on the evening before the bodies were found, with one neighbour recalling O’Connor shouting, “I’ll end you, I’ll f*cking end you,” and another seeing a man jumping up and down in the back garden.

Evidence will also be presented by the carer of Evan, who was 26 and severely autistic, and by Gardaí who arrived at the scene and found several knives near the bodies. O’Connor told Gardaí that an argument had arisen over his cocaine use, that he did not want to stop taking drugs, and that he felt remorse for killing his mother but not for his father or brother.

The trial is expected to last three weeks.

Source: Newstalk. Photo: SHOX ART / Pexels.