Man acquitted of neighbour's murder by reason of insanity
A man has been found not guilty by reason of insanity of murdering his neighbour in Mourne Park, Skerries in Co. Dublin three years ago.
Medical experts told the jurors that Dragos Nica was experiencing an acute episode of schizophrenia when he stabbed Michael Gannon to death.
On November 14, 2013, Michael Gannon was at his daughter’s house looking after her two children and a neighbour’s child.
The 55-year-old had been preparing a meal for his grandchildren when he was attacked after answering the front door of his daughter’s home.
The children, who were aged between five and nine at the time, ran to another neighbour and raised the alarm.
Mr Nica said he had been in a relationship with his victim’s daughter and told Gardaí he killed him because she had "zapped" him with a poison.
He also told gardaí that he thought about killing her children too.
While looking in her sitting room window that day, he said he thought about killing her children too - aged five and nine at the time.
He said he planned on going on a rampage afterwards because he wanted to kill as many people as he could, but that his anger left him after the stabbing.
