Dundalk man found guilty of manslaughter in triple stabbing
Robert O'Connor, 32, received a unanimous verdict at the Central Criminal Court after a jury accepted psychiatric evidence of a schizophrenia relapse.
By James Anderson ·
Robert O'Connor, a 32-year-old resident of Drumgowna in Louth Village, Dundalk, County Louth, was found guilty of manslaughter by diminished responsibility on Tuesday.
A unanimous jury at the Central Criminal Court rejected the charge of murder regarding the deaths of O'Connor's mother, Louise, 56; his father, Mark, 54; and his brother, Evan, 27.
The victims died at the family home between September 28 and 29, 2025. Court records indicate the three individuals sustained a combined total of 139 stab wounds.
O'Connor accepted that he caused the deaths of his family members. His legal team had requested a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity to ensure he received proper mental health treatment and to avoid a fourth misdiagnosis.
The jury relied on testimony from two psychiatrists who stated that O'Connor was suffering from a relapse of schizophrenia during the incident. The defense argued that Section 6 of the Criminal Law Insanity Act 2006 applied to the case.
State prosecutors had previously submitted that a manslaughter verdict aligned with the preponderance of evidence and the consensus of the medical experts.
