A plea of not guilty on account of insanity has been entered by a female defendant accused of killing her 76-year-old mother over two years ago in her residence located in the inner north part of Dublin. The woman in question is 47-year-old Moire Bergin, a resident of Seville Place, Dublin 1, who is facing the charges of committing murder against Mary Bergin in her First Avenue residence in Seville Place, on April 13th, 2022.
Her plea was entered on Monday at the Central Criminal Court during her arraignment on the sole charge of murder. When queried about how she pled, Ms Bergin’s response was “Not guilty on the grounds of insanity.”
Presiding Judge, Justice Paul McDermott, informed the jury that the victim Mary Bergin, was the mother of the defendant, Moire Bergin and emphasised the focus of the case lies in the mental state of Ms. Bergin at the time of the alleged crime. According to Justice McDermott, the trial would be streamlined, given that many facts about how Mary Bergin met her demise are indisputable.
Justice McDermott also informed that Detective Sergeant John Brady from Store Street Garda station is expected to provide a summary of the case during the proceeding. The jury will also take into account insights from forensic psychiatry consultants, namely Dr. Stephen Monks and Dr. Paul O’Connell.
A balanced jury consisting of six men and six women has been empanelled for the trial set to commence on the subsequent Tuesday under Justice McDermott. The trial is likely to conclude within a span of two days.