L'accusato di triplice omicidio non prendeva farmaci per la schizofrenia e usava cocaina, dice il farmacista

A thirty-two-year-old man from County Louth stands accused of killing his entire immediate family with a knife, a crime he claims occurred during a psychotic episode fueled by cocaine use and a lack of prescribed medication. Robert O’Connor, of Drumgowna in Louth Village, Dundalk, faces charges of murder by reason of insanity or manslaughter based on diminished responsibility. The killings took place at the family home between September 28 and September 29, 2025. His victims were his mother, Louise O’Connor, fifty-six; his father, Mark O’Connor, fifty-four; and his younger brother, Evan O’Connor, twenty-seven, who had additional needs. The accused has accepted that he caused the deaths, though he denies criminal liability due to his mental state. The victims sustained a combined total of one hundred and thirty-nine stab wounds. The trial is currently underway in the Central Criminal Court before Judge Mícheál P O’Higgins and a jury composed of six men and six women. Prosecution counsel Roisin Lacey presented evidence regarding O’Connor’s condition in the months leading up to the attacks. Kim Curtis, a local pharmacist, testified that she had known the family since 2022, when she began dispensing Aripiprazole, an antipsychotic medication, to Louise O’Connor for her son. On September 1, 2025, Louise visited the pharmacy accompanied by Robert, carrying a shoebox filled with unused pills. Curtis stated that the box contained four to five months’ worth of medication, indicating Robert had not been taking his prescriptions. Louise explained that the drugs were found in Robert’s wardrobe and revealed that her son was using illicit substances. When questioned by the pharmacist, Robert admitted to using cocaine without showing visible distress. Curtis advised Louise to contact Turas, a Dundalk-based service offering mental health and drug support. Two weeks later, Louise returned alone and confirmed she had not sought help. She recounted an incident where Robert entered the living room while she and Mark watched television. Robert claimed a woman had commissioned him to come downstairs, a statement Louise interpreted as a hallucination. She noted that Robert was carrying a knife during this encounter and later threatened to kill her. Despite being informed that Robert could be involuntarily sectioned under the Mental Health Act, Louise expressed reluctance to pursue detention. O’Connor’s account of the fatal night emerged during his initial police interview at Drogheda Garda Station at 5 p.m. on September 29. His solicitor informed officers that his client suffered from schizophrenia and could not recall the last time he took medication. O’Connor described Friday as a normal day until he went upstairs to use cocaine. His parents subsequently called him down to discuss their discomfort with his drug use within the household. O’Connor stated that the conversation turned violent in nature, affecting his brother’s behavior. He denied wanting to stop using drugs, claiming his parents remained understanding. After returning upstairs to use more cocaine and view pornography, O’Connor descended again, finding his family seated in the living room. He retrieved a knife, describing himself as angry, and approached his mother, questioning her lack of empathy. O’Connor told investigators that he slashed his mother on the head first. She reportedly told him she needed to use the toilet, a gesture he likened to a character letting someone go in the television series Love/Hate. Both his parents then urged him to release their son, Evan. O’Connor stated he pointed a knife at all three, instructing them not to speak simultaneously. He forced two of them to stand while attempting to make them face the ground. When his mother attempted to flee through the door, O’Connor slammed it shut and ordered her back inside. As his father charged toward the exit, O’Connor stated he stabbed him in the stomach. He requested that detectives refrain from asking for specific details regarding the stabbings, admitting he had stabbed them multiple times but could not recall the exact sequence. Separately, a different domestic violence trial concluded recently in Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court. An unnamed man was found guilty on eight counts, including breach of a domestic violence order, production of an article, sending threatening messages, assault causing harm, and four counts of threatening to kill. The jury consisted of eight men and four women. Evidence included forensic analysis of a Huawei mobile phone and a Nokia device by Garda cyber crime units. The complainant testified that in September 2020, the accused attacked her in their home, pushing her into the kitchen and striking her head. He allegedly shouted insults at their children and threatened to kill her in her sleep. Following the incident, the woman fled to her mother’s home. When she returned the next day, the accused threatened her with a knife and hammer, sending photos of the weapons via Facebook. Prosecutors presented text messages sent in October 2020, in which the accused vowed to chop her up and threatened to kill any future partners. One message read, "Pigs won’t always watch you, I will cut you up." Defense counsel challenged the complainant’s credibility, suggesting she had accessed the accused’s device to send messages to herself and that her account varied regarding the location of the assault. The judge presiding over that case was Patrick Quinn. The Wicklow trial highlighted patterns of digital harassment and physical violence distinct from the Louth homicide case, yet both proceedings underscore the severe consequences of untreated mental health issues and substance abuse in domestic settings. The Louth trial continues, with further expert testimony expected to address the accused’s psychological state at the time of the murders.