Christina Anderson

2023 - 1 - 13

Post cover
Image courtesy of "BreakingNews.ie"

Christina Anderson pleads guilty to manslaughter for stabbing man ... (BreakingNews.ie)

This morning lawyers in the case revealed that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has spent this week considering a plea to the lesser charge of ...

When Mr O'Higgins asked if Ms Anderson was able to refrain from the act of stabbing Mr Kelly, Dr Wright said: "Ms Anderson delusionally believed the danger to her family she had been concerned with for days had become an immediate danger rather than a non-specific danger. Dr Wright added that Ms Anderson did understand the nature and quality of her actions and she understood that what she did in stabbing Mr Kelly was legally wrong. She had grandiose delusions such as that she was a goddess, that Michael Jackson was going to visit her home or that she was a character from Star Trek. Dr Wright said in the week leading up to the stabbing, Ms Anderson's mood was elevated, her sleep was disrupted and she continued to use cannabis daily. She warned her family and friends that she and her family were "in danger" and when interviewed later by medical professionals reported an increase in the intensity and frequency of auditory hallucinations. In the weeks leading up to the stabbing she sent multiple texts and emails to friends, family members and her solicitor falsely alleging that her neighbours were involved in a criminal conspiracy. She attached some significance to a photograph she had found of Bertie Ahern and said that their solicitor was going to come to the house with Michael Jackson. Dr Wright said that Ms Anderson's behaviour was as a result of her bipolar affective disorder and not cannabis intoxication. He said that if it is true that Ms Anderson smoked her final cannabis cigarette at about 10pm the previous evening and stabbed Mr Kelly at about 7am, then it is "extremely unlikely she would still have been intoxicated with cannabis". Ms Anderson was arraigned on the new charge of manslaughter and pleaded guilty in front of the jury that had been sworn to hear her trial. At the beginning of the trial Ms Anderson pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the charge of murdering Mr Kelly. He said there were "ongoing difficulties on the defence side" arising from a report by consultant psychiatrist Professor Harry Kennedy and the decision to plead guilty to manslaughter was informed by those difficulties.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "The Irish Sun"

Dublin mum breaks down in tears and pleads guilty to manslaughter ... (The Irish Sun)

Mum-of-three Christina Anderson, 41, has been a patient at the Central Mental Hospital since shortly after she stabbed Gareth Kelly, 39, to death almost two ...

Her lawyers called Dr Wright, who said that Ms Anderson has a diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder and as a result she falsely believed that Mr Kelly was a threat to her and her family and that she was morally justified in killing him to protect her family. The court heard from friends and neighbours of Ms Anderson and from her husband Mark Anderson that her behaviour had become increasingly erratic in the days and weeks leading up to the stabbing. Opening the trial last December, Mr McGrath told the jury that Mr Kelly had parked overnight in a space belonging to the Anderson home, something that happened from time to time to the annoyance of Ms Anderson. Ms Justice O’Connor said that Ms Anderson was taking legal responsibility for the killing and that her plea was entered on the basis that her responsibility was substantially diminished due to bipolar affective disorder. Mr O’Higgins said that she was unable to offer an apology earlier because of the trial process but it is a “matter of great regret” for Ms Anderson that the Kelly family had to sit through a rehearsal of the “most unpleasant facts” relating to his death. The court has previously heard that Professor Kennedy disagreed with Dr Brenda Wright, a consultant psychiatrist called by the defence, who said that Ms Anderson was suffering from bipolar affective disorder and as a result of her mental disorder she was unable to refrain from stabbing Mr Kelly.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "The Irish Times"

Christina Anderson pleads guilty to manslaughter as murder charge ... (The Irish Times)

Anderson had previously pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murder of Garth Kelly (39), who she stabbed to death in 2020.

Following today’s plea, Ms Anderson began to cry as Mr O’Higgins told the court that his client’s first instruction was to “apologise profusely” to the Kelly family for the events that led to Mr Kelly’s death. They went to bed and the next morning Mr Anderson awoke when he heard the house alarm going off followed by a loud bang. Her lawyers called Dr Wright, who said that Ms Anderson has a diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder and as a result she falsely believed that Mr Kelly was a threat to her and her family and that she was morally justified in killing him to protect her family. The court has previously heard that Professor Kennedy disagreed with Dr Brenda Wright, a consultant psychiatrist called by the defence, who said that Ms Anderson was suffering from bipolar affective disorder and as a result of her mental disorder she was unable to refrain from stabbing Mr Kelly. Ms Anderson was arraigned on the new charge of manslaughter and pleaded guilty in front of the jury that had been sworn to hear her trial. Ms Anderson, who has been a patient at the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) since shortly after she stabbed 39-year-old Gareth Kelly to death, had previously pleaded not guilty to murder by reason of insanity at the Central Criminal Court.

Explore the last week