The family of a woman killed by her partner while he was suffering a relapse of a schizoaffective disorder have spoken about their devastation and disbelief over her violent death at the hands of the “big friendly giant” who loved her.
The family of 41-year-old Maud Coffey also criticised the HSE Mental Health Services who knew that Austin Mangan (53) had not been taking his psychiatric medicine for three months before he killed her. They said he also sought help from his psychiatric team the day before her death but was “sent away with an appointment for the following week”.
In a statement released following a court hearing on Friday, the family said: “Medication can be life-saving as part of a care plan, but it cannot be the only answer. If a care plan has only one strand, what happens when that strand breaks?”
Maud Coffey suffered multiple injuries during a “frenzied attack” at Mr Mangan’s hands in January 2023. A jury earlier this week found him not guilty of her murder by reason of insanity.
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The family said they agree with the jury’s verdict, adding: “We do not believe Austin is responsible for Maud’s death. We wish him well in his recovery and hope he can find peace.” They also said that their “hearts go out” to the Mangan family
They believe that if Austin had been properly listened to, their sister would still be with them and “would not have died in such a horrendous way”. They said they want to work with the HSE to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
The trial heard that Mr Mangan told a consultant psychiatrist that he hadn’t been feeling well the day before the killing. He went to Millmount Health Clinic in Drumcondra to get an injection, but they wouldn’t give it to him, the court was told. The defendant said Millmount told him to go to another clinic but instead he and Ms Coffey went to her apartment, as he was tired.
Under cross-examination, it was put to Dr Ronan Mullaney that Mr Mangan had gone to get depot medication (an injection that releases medication slowly over time) but there wasn’t someone to dispense it and he was told to come back on January 18th.
Dr Mullaney said depots are highly organised and, to receive medication, there has to be an appointment with a community psychiatric nurse, which was “not available on the day, which was not surprising”. He agreed it may have made no difference, as the medication can take six weeks to take effect.
At Friday’s hearing, during which Mr Mangan was committed to the Central Mental Hospital for continuing treatment, Ms Coffey’s sisters and brother delivered statements detailing the impact of her death.
Breffní Coffey said Maud was “so happy when she met Austin”.
She added: “I remember her telling me about their first date, lying together on the grass in the park, talking together and watching the clouds go by. I was so happy she had found romance and joy in her life. It made me happy to know she had met someone who loved her for being her and cherished her inner strength.”
Breffní Coffey said she was aware that before her death, Maud had her own struggles with mental health but she believed she was getting better.
She added: “I had to explain to my children that their beloved aunt had died at the hands of the man who loved her, because he was unwell.”
Iseult Coffey said she is Maud’s eldest sister. “When Maud began a relationship with Austin, I was so happy for her. She had met someone who loved and supported her.”
When Mr Mangan met the rest of the family, he was “always kind and friendly and made a big effort”, she said, adding: “Everyone liked him; our nickname for him was the Big Friendly Giant.”
The children in the family knew Mr Mangan as a “kind and gentle person,” she said. “Helping them understand that serious mental illness can change someone so completely - that it can make someone behave in ways that are not truly who they are - has been an extremely painful and difficult lesson for them.”
Fergus Coffey described his sister as a “loving and gentle creature” who found her “bliss” with animals and children.
Síofra Coffey said Maud and Austin appeared to be happy together and looked after one another. “This is why it’s so difficult to come to terms with what happened. Two people’s lives were destroyed and two families were left reeling and broken.”
Fainche Coffey said finding out that Austin had killed her sister was “all too shocking and upsetting for words”. The details revealed at the inquest and trial “haunt” her, she said.
Each family member commented on the added distress caused by delays to the trial process. Brendan Grehan SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said the cause of the delay was the difficulty in obtaining reports from forensic consultant psychiatrists. The lack of suitably qualified psychiatrists has delayed numerous trials in recent years.
Dr Patrick McLaughlin earlier told Mr Grehan that Mr Mangan continues to suffer from a schizoaffective disorder and is in need of continuing treatment at the Central Mental Hospital.
Mr Justice Paul Burns said the family’s statements had brought “into sharp focus the sorrow, loss and hurt and the severe impact that lie behind verdicts such as in this case”.
He said the trial process was clearly difficult for the family and it was “most unfortunate ” that it took longer than it should. Mr Justice Burns committed Mr Mangan to the Central Mental Hospital, where he will be reviewed every six months.
Mr Mangan, with a previous address at Hollybank Road in Drumcondra but more recently of the Beaumont area of Dublin, had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of Maud Coffey (41) at the Horizon Building in Royal Canal Park, Ashtown, Dublin 15 on January 13th, 2023.
