A Waterford man who tried to kill his mentally ill wife with a hammer has received a five year suspended sentence at the Central Criminal Court.
Fintan Murphy (48), who was originally charged with the attempted murder of Margaret Murphy in October 2008, told gardaí that he hit her because she wouldn’t stop talking.
“I just wanted to shut her up she just talks and talks,” he said.
He said he had planned to hang himself with a belt afterwards.
The court heard that Mrs Murphy suffered from bi-polar disorder at the time and Murphy suffered from clinical depression, but had not taken his medication for two months prior to the assault.
In the hours before the attack, Mrs Murphy had been having a psychotic episode, meaning she was hearing voices and hallucinating, and had imagined there were people outside the house and couldn’t sleep.
At about 8am that morning, Murphy made a 999 call and told gardaí: “I just tried to kill my wife. She is full of blood and has injuries to her head.”
When they arrived at the scene, they found Murphy soaked in blood and his wife in an upstairs bedroom conscious and covered in blood.
Murphy was arrested and brought to Waterford Garda station, where he made full admissions, telling gardaí that he had intended to kill his wife. “I wanted to keep her quiet by hitting her with the hammer and then hang myself with a belt," he said.
Mrs Murphy suffered a total of eight lacerations to her scalp and two fractured bones in her left hand but has since made a full recovery from her injuries.
Murphy, who has an address at Waterford Regional Hospital, pleaded guilty last May to assault causing harm and to attempting to cause serious harm at Ardmore Park, Ballybeg in Waterford. The DPP accepted the plea.
In sentencing at the Central Criminal Court today, Mr Justice Paul Carney said that on the surface the case couldn’t be “more serious and would merit a substantial term of imprisonment.” But he said on closer analysis, both the accused and his wife suffered from serious mental illness and that the events were “very largely blamed on the fact that they had abandoned taking mediation.”
Mr Justice Carney said that although the DPP took the view that the matter was very grave, he recognised it was in the public interest that Murphy continue with his medication and treatment, and that this would not be achieved in a prison environment.
He also noted that Mrs Murphy did not want the matter reported to the Garda, and has resumed living with her husband of seven years. She also told gardaí in a statement that he had never hurt her before and that he “would do anything for me, go anywhere for me. He is the best in the world.”
Mr Justice Carney sentenced Murphy to a five year suspended jail term, and bound him to keep the peace and be of good behaviour, in particular toward his wife. He also instructed that he obey all lawful instructions in relation to his medical treatment.
The court heard he has been receiving full time psychiatric care at Waterford Regional hospital since December 2008.
His wife, who is currently a patient in the psychiatric department of Waterford Regional Hospital, has been receiving treatment since January of this year.
Murphy, who stood with his head bowed for the duration of the hearing, said “thank you very much” on receiving his suspended sentence.