Man who attacked neighbour with machete found guilty of murder

A man who attacked his elderly neighbour with a machete and knife, leaving him so badly injured that he had to be identified through dental records, has been found guilty of murder.

A jury took a little over five hours to unanimously reject Patrick McDonagh’s claim that his responsibility for the “brutal” crime was substantially diminished because he was suffering an acute episode of schizophrenia.

McDonagh (52), with an address at Whitechapel Road, Clonsilla, Dublin 15, had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter for the unlawful killing of Peter McDonald (73) at the deceased’s home on Whitechapel Road on July 25th, 2020.

McDonagh will be sentenced to life imprisonment by Mr Justice Michael MacGrath on Wednesday when members of the deceased’s family will have an opportunity to address the court.

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During the two-week trial at the Central Criminal Court, the prosecution argued that if there was any abnormality in McDonagh’s mental state, it would most likely be accounted for by his cannabis use.

[ Only two verdicts available in trial of man accused of ‘brutal’ machete murder, jury told ]

Witnesses described Mr McDonald as a “gentleman” who “kept himself to himself most of the time”.

A garda described how she had returned to the pensioner’s home to find him dead in his driveway just 14 minutes after she and her colleagues spoke to him about McDonagh, who had been in the victim’s garden chasing his cats.

Mr McDonald’s body was discovered on the driveway of his home in the early hours of the morning after neighbours reported hearing screaming.

Inside, forensic investigators found blood spattered across a bathroom, on a lampshade and throughout a hallway leading to where Mr McDonald’s body lay. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Meanwhile, armed gardaí became engaged in a standoff with McDonagh, who had locked himself inside his own home.

He was eventually subdued with a Taser and arrested.

State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan told the trial that McDonald died from multiple stab, slash and chop wounds. The most severe were to the neck and severed the carotid artery, damaged the jugular vein and fractured his skull and nose. He had to be identified by his dental records, such was the nature of his injuries.

In his closing speech to the jury last Tuesday, Philip Rahn SC, for the prosecution, said the evidence shows that McDonagh killed Mr McDonald in a “violent, sustained and merciless attack... leaving him no chance”.

He described the killing as “horrific” and “brutal” and said the defence had not established that at the time of the attack McDonagh was operating under a mental disorder. “He is not only responsible for killing Mr McDonald but for his murder, and a true verdict on the evidence is one of murder,” he said.

John Fitzgerald SC, defending, said his client has a lengthy psychiatric history with multiple diagnoses of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. There was further evidence, counsel said, that McDonagh’s condition had deteriorated in the lead-up to the killing, and in the hours leading up to the attack he had appeared to be “raging against the world”.

The trial heard from two psychiatrists who differed on McDonagh’s diagnosis. Prof Patricia Casey, who was called by the defence, said McDonagh had a long psychiatric history and was at the time of the killing suffering from acute symptoms of schizophrenia. She said his mental disorder substantially reduced his responsibility for the killing.

Dr Mary Davoren, who was called by the prosecution, said that if there was any abnormality in McDonagh’s mental state at the time of the alleged offence, it would most likely be accounted for by cannabis use.

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