Man told gardaí he killed his girlfriend, referring to 'the killing of Lucifer'

Alison O'Riordan

A Dublin man had a history of non-compliance with taking his medication and told gardaí he had killed his girlfriend, referring to "the devil, the bible and to the killing of Lucifer," a Central Criminal Court jury has heard.

Brendan Grehan SC said a consultant forensic psychiatrist for the State will say that although the accused was suffering from a mental disorder, its severity was such "to entitle a jury to consider a verdict of diminished responsibility" but not "a full finding of insanity".

Austin Mangan (53), with a previous address at Hollybank Road in Drumcondra but more recently of the Beaumont area of Dublin, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of Maud Coffey (41) at the Horizon Building in Royal Canal Park, Ashtown, Dublin 15, on January 13th, 2023.

Opening the prosecution’s case on Wednesday, Mr Grehan told the 12 jurors that this trial will be slightly different to what they might expect in terms of a murder case and that the issues are "much more net and focused".

Counsel told the panel that gardaí had received a report on the morning of January 13th, 2023, that a male was on a bus within the Royal Canal Park complex and was behaving in an aggressive and unpleasant way.

The prosecution barrister went on to tell the court that gardaí responded quickly to the scene and found the accused Mr Mangan on the upper deck of the parked bus.

"They fairly immediately had concerns about his mental health and safety because of the way he was behaving; it was aggressive and somewhat irrational".

There will be evidence, Mr Grehan said, that Garda John McGowan had used powers under section 12 of the Mental Health Act 2021 to detain Mr Mangan for his own safety and the safety of others. The accused was then conveyed to Finglas Garda Station.

When Gda McGowan was dealing with the accused, the lawyer said Mr Mangan was talking to him and that some of what he was saying did not make a lot of sense.

"One of the things he did say was that he killed his girlfriend or killed Maud and had referred to the devil, the bible and to the killing of Lucifer," said Mr Grehan.

In these circumstances, the barrister said, gardaí had legitimate concerns that somebody else might have suffered injuries at the hands of Mr Mangan and began investigating where that might be.

Other gardaí had been contacted by Mr Mangan's sister, Suzanne Mangan, who said the accused had telephoned her that morning and told her he had killed his girlfriend Maud.

"Acting in a responsible manner she [Suzanne Mangan] immediately rang gardaí," he said.

Mr Grehan said Garda Joseph Green went to an apartment in the Horizon Building and found the door unlocked. When the garda entered, he found the body of a woman, later identified as Ms Coffey, with obvious fatal injuries.

The barrister further stated that a pathologist had carried out an examination on Ms Coffey and concluded she had died from asphyxia.

"A flex from a cleaner of some kind had been put around her neck and she also had sharp force trauma knife injuries to the neck and other trauma to the head and neck. She died as a result of all these various injuries she suffered," said Mr Grehan.

Evidence will be that Mr Mangan had seen a number of doctors in the garda station and was ultimately released from the provisions of section 12 of the Mental Health Act 2021.

Mr Grehan said the accused was then immediately arrested by Garda Mark Reilly at 4.51pm that afternoon on suspicion of the murder of Ms Coffey.

Mr Grehan said the accused had admitted killing Ms Coffey in his garda interviews. In the fifth interview, he said, the accused had provided a very descriptive and detailed account of how he had done that.

The barrister said the investigation subsequently discovered that the accused had been diagnosed with a variety of different mental health problems from a young age. "At one stage, a doctor suggested bipolar, later schizoaffective disorder and paranoia".

There will be evidence, Mr Grehan said, that the accused had undergone various therapies and medication. He said Mr Mangan was on various medications but had a history of non-compliance with taking his medications.

In the context of his own mental health problems, Mr Grehan said the accused had met Ms Coffey a number of years prior to this. He said Ms Coffey had previously worked in childcare but had developed significant mental health issues of her own.

"In the time just before her death she had spent two weeks in a specialist wing of Connolly Memorial Hospital and discharged herself two days before her death on January 11th, 2023".

It won't be an issue at all, but that Mr Mangan had caused the death of Ms Coffey, he continued.

Mr Grehan said the accused's mental health will be in focus in the trial. He said the jury would hear from consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Ronan Mullaney, whose opinion is that Mr Mangan satisfies the criteria to qualify "for consideration of not guilty by reason of insanity".

Counsel said the Director of Public Prosecutions had arranged for consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Richard Church to prepare a report on behalf of the prosecution.

Mr Grehan said Dr Church agreed that the accused was suffering from a mental disorder at the time he killed Ms Coffey but in terms of the severity of that disorder, his view is it is such "to entitle a jury to consider a verdict of diminished responsibility; it is not a full finding of insanity".

In summary, counsel said both doctors agreed the accused had a mental disorder but there was "some dispute" between them as to the severity of the disorder.

"Effectively that will be the net issue you'll be asked to consider in the case," he added.

Patrick Gageby SC, defending, made formal admissions to the court today on behalf of his client, including that Mr Mangan admits killing Ms Coffey.

The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Paul Burns and a jury of seven men and five women.