Man found guilty of murdering his wife in Mayo attack

James Kilroy has been found guilty of murdering his wife at their home at Kilbree Lower, Westport, on June 16, 2019.

A jury unanimously convicted Valerie French Kilroy's husband of her murder - rejecting the defence counsel's claim that he was insane when he beat, stabbed and strangled her to death.

During Kilroy's latest trial, psychiatrists had disagreed as to whether cannabis-induced psychosis is a mental disorder that can be used as a defence under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act, despite recent murder trials in which such a defence was successfully employed.

Following today's verdict, Mr. Justice Tony Hunt said he believes Professor Harry Kennedy's interpretation that cannabis-induced psychosis is not an available defence is "entirely in line with what I perceive as the policy of the legislation."

The jury's verdict, he said, was "the correct result on the evidence in the case... Self-induced scenarios are not defences."

Mr Justice Hunt added: "It could be that the legislature might consider making that a little more plain in the wording [of the act] but I think it is tolerably clear enough."

The eight women and four men at the Central Criminal Court took about two hours to reject James Kilroy's defence that he should be found not guilty by reason of insanity due to a cannabis-induced psychosis or a form of acute and transient psychotic disorder.

Members of victim Valerie French Kilroy's family, who have attended every day of the three trials, cried and thanked the jury when the verdict was revealed.