A woman who suffered catastrophic, lifelong injuries after her son attempted to murder her has hit out at “inadequate” community health services that she said are unable to deal with complex mental illness.
Mary Coughlan almost died when her son Gearoid, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, beat her and repeatedly stabbed her. She has previously said that she was unaware of the risk her son posed to her and her family prior to the near-fatal assault.
The Central Criminal Court heard that Coughlan is deemed by the probation service to be at a high risk of reoffending in a community setting.
Speaking outside court on Monday after he was sentenced to ten years in prison, his mother said: “Unfortunately the mental health services in Ireland are inadequate to care for complex mental illnesses in the community.”
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She said schizophrenia has “robbed my son of so much and caused untold sadness in our family”.
“We hope that all families in a similar situation get their required help before it becomes too late.”
Last December, Coughlan (32), of Ballycoughlan, Inishannon, Co Cork pleaded guilty to attempting to murder his mother Mary Coughlan on June 4th, 2021 at her home in Ballycoughlan.
When he finishes his ten-year sentence, Coughlan will undergo six years of supervision by probation and psychiatric services.
Passing sentence, Mr Justice Paul McDermott said Coughlan would require further treatment before he can safely be reintroduced into society.
Mr Justice McDermott said Coughlan lacks insight into his illness and does not understand that to avoid further relapses he needs to take prescribed medication and avoid alcohol and illicit drugs.
The judge noted that Coughlan has been aggressive and violent towards numerous people, including his father, mother and hospital staff. The “appalling” attempted murder of his mother left her with catastrophic and lifelong, physical and mental injuries and she is lucky to be alive, the judge said.
Mr Justice McDermott said Coughlan had opted not to pursue a defence under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act which may have resulted in him being found not guilty by reason of insanity. He said Coughlan had chosen to plead guilty to attempted murder because he would prefer to have a definite prison sentence rather than the indefinite period of detention in the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) that would be imposed if he were found not guilty by reason of insanity.
The judge noted that it is not possible under Irish law for him to impose a hospital order and said this is a matter that has yet to be addressed by the Oireachtas.
Before Monday’s sentencing, Coughlan’s barrister Alice Fawsitt SC told the court her client wants to be returned to prison rather than the CMH. His reasons, counsel said, include that he cannot smoke in the hospital and he has only restricted access to the gym. He promised to take his medication and to undergo urinalysis to establish that he is drug-free, Ms Fawsitt said.
Mr Justice McDermott said the case gives rise to a number of difficulties posed by Coughlan’s “deep, continuing mental health issues”. It is up to the prison authorities as to where Coughlan spends his sentence but Mr Justice McDermott said the CMH appears to be the appropriate place for him.
The judge noted that the attempted murder and other episodes that resulted in involuntary committals to psychiatric wards were preceded by periods when Coughlan reduced his medication and used alcohol and illicit drugs including cannabis and ketamine. While he has made progress in hospital, Mr Justice McDermott noted a probation report which states Coughlan is at a high risk of reoffending in a community setting.
He has no real insight into his illness and continues to justify the attack on his mother based on delusional reasoning. He does not appreciate the benefits of medication and does not understand that previous failures to take his medication led to relapses. He also believes that cannabis use is beneficial.
Given his lack of insight, Mr Justice McDermott said there is a high probability that on release into the community Coughlan will deteriorate and pose a risk of violence to others.
The judge noted Ms Coughlan’s victim impact statement, which he said showed both the concerns of a victim but also the “deep concerns of a mother for her son and her deep and abiding concern that his problems be addressed in a meaningful way”.
The judge said the available services did not provide the “intensive attention” Gearoid required. The judge added: “Her statement is full of love and forgiveness and positive thoughts for the future and it is full of the strength she has indicated she derives from her faith and from the care and love of family and friends.”
Among the aggravating features of the offence, the judge noted that the assault took place in the victim’s home where the defendant was “cherished, cared for and supported”.
The attack violated Ms Coughlan’s sense of security in her home and was a “gross breach of trust following decades of support and endeavour”.
The features of the case, the judge said, justify a headline sentence of 21 years. Taking into account the guilty plea and Coughlan’s reduced moral responsibility due to his mental disorder, the judge reduced that to 12 years. He further suspended the final two years for six years with 18 conditions including that Coughlan abide by all directions of the probation and mental health services and take his prescribed medication.
At a sentencing hearing in March, Ms Coughlan said she was frustrated that people with paranoid schizophrenia were allowed to live in the community without the care they need, in particular, to ensure they stick to their prescribed medication. Ms Coughlan said that a lack of communication regarding the level of risk posed by her son’s disease left her in an “unexpected, dangerous situation where I endured a horrific assault that almost cost me my life and will continue to impact my life forever. The assault by my son, who I never feared before, resulted in severe injuries including a traumatic brain injury”.
In her victim impact statement, Ms Coughlan described her survival from the attack as a “miracle” and said without the intervention of her son-in-law the outcome “would have been drastically different”.
She added: “I refuse to let this episode define me.”
She finished by saying that she had been asked what she would say if she were sitting with Gearoid in front of her in a safe environment. “I replied without hesitating that I would give him a big hug and tell him we all love him. I understand that his illness was the cause of this.”
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