Man's schizophrenia treatment offer arrived two days after he killed his grandmother, Cork trial told

The mother of a young man facing a sentence for manslaughter of his grandmother had been trying to organise a depot drug injection for her son’s diagnosed schizophrenia, but the treatment offer she needed for him only arrived in the post two days after the killing.

Brian Nnamdi Ogbo appeared at Cork Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing for the manslaughter of his grandmother at the family home in Carrigaline one year ago.

Defence senior counsel Jane Hyland said: “This is a tragedy for the family and also a tragedy for Mr Ogbo (the accused).” Detective Garda Tom Delaney who investigated the case said: “I would agree with that.” 

Rather than presenting victim impact evidence, the mother and sister of the accused man presented references on his behalf, testifying to his high level of intelligence, sensitive nature, diagnosed schizophrenia and the care that he had shown for his grandmother over many years.

Ms Hyland said the Ogbo family are a highly accomplished family in Nigeria where several of them practice as doctors and surgeons. 

Ms Hyland said the defendant’s mother, who is daughter of the deceased, made huge efforts in Cork to arrange an anti-psychotic depot injection for her son. As his mother, and also being a qualified social worker, she could see that his behaviour was deteriorating due to the absence of medication.

“He was waiting for an appointment — He got an appointment two days after his granny died,” Ms Hyland said.

Brian Nmandi has been in custody since he caused his 82-year-old grandmother’s death by dragging her down the stairs causing her to fall and go down head first. While not initially admitted to hospital her condition later required hospitalisation and she died as a result of her injuries.

Judge Sinéad Behan said that she needed to see details of a psychiatric care plan for the accused for whenever he is released from prison, and sentencing was adjourned until March 4 for that purpose.

Case background

Detective Garda Tom Delaney outlined the background to the case. He testified that on Sunday morning, February 23, 2025, a dispute arose at 17 Garrydhu Drive, where Brian Ogbo had been pacing around the house during the night and had shouted at his mother, Ruby Ogbo to leave him alone. 

Ruby discovered the accused had eaten all the food and had destroyed the kitchen.

“Brian Ogbo told her that there were people looking for money off him. He followed her around the house, asking her where she had her money. She told him she worked hard for it. She told him to stop engaging these scammers, and threatened to take his phone off him and remove the Wi-Fi in the house.

“Ruby Ogbo took the Wi-Fi internet box out of the house. She stated that as she tried to walk out of the house, he pulled her back. She exited the house and was followed by the accused, who had a blue-handled scissors in his hand. 

"He threatened to cut the wires in the house before putting the scissors on the ground. Ruby Ogbo picked up the scissors and brought it back into the house.

“When in the house, he pushed her to the ground in the kitchen and punched her into the head while she was on the ground. She was crying at this stage. The accused then went upstairs looking for his grandmother, who was in the bathroom. 

"He shouted at her to open the door. The deceased shouted, 'Oh my god. Oh my god'. Ruby fled the house to get help from the next door neighbour. Ruby told her neighbour that her son was going to kill her mother and that he had a knife.

“A short time after, the deceased emerged from the house in a distressed state. Brian Ogbo had broken down the bathroom door and dragged his grandmother, Stella Nnadi, 82, out of the room.

“He dragged her by the arm down the stairs first and pushed her out the front door. Stella Nnadi managed to make her way out of the house and into the neighbour's house and joined her daughter Ruby.

“Brian Ogbo was arrested under Section 12 of the Mental Health Act, taken to CUH, examined, discharged and given a letter to attend CUH on a voluntary basis.

“Meanwhile Stella Nnadi’s condition deteriorated and on February 25, Ruby Ogbo returned home and requested an ambulance as her mother was not responding to her. Stella was transported CUH where she was gravely ill. 

"The emergency consultant was immediately concerned that she had a serious head injury. She had a significant bleed in her brain and her condition rapidly deteriorated,” Det. Garda Delaney said. 

Det. Sergeant Simon Grace and Det. Garda Delaney later questioned him. He stated: “I got angry. Started breaking things. I lost my cool. I took a knife, but I didn't stab anybody. I went upstairs to my granny. She was in the toilet. 

"She told me she couldn't open it. I broke the door, dragged her out, dragged her down the stairs. She fell down the stairs and got up. I locked her out of the house.” 

He was asked how he dragged his grandmother down the stairs, and he said by the arm, he later clarified. “I can remember she was going face down, face first, down the stairs. I was holding her by the hand.” 

Later he said: “I threw her across the room. She fell. She fell, head first on the floor. She was facing the ceiling. I dragged her by the hand down the stairs. The right hand. I used my two hands. 

"She wanted to stand up. She told me this at the bottom of stairs. I came down the stairs first. I was dragging her. We came down together. At the bottom, she stood up. I pushed her out.” 

Dr Heidi Okkers, state pathologist, concluded that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head as a result of being pulled down the stairs.

The accused was remanded in custody to March 4 at Cork Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing.