The murder trial of a man who admitted killing his wife, at their Mayo home, has collapsed for a second time.
The trial of James Kilroy collapsed at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday, as a key defence witness was unavailable.
Mr Kilroy, aged 50, had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murdering his wife Valerie French Kilroy, aged 41, at their home at Kilbree Lower, Westport, between June 13, 2019 and June 1, 2019.
Mr Justice Paul McDermott told the jury that psychiatrist Prof Keith Rix, who was called by the defence and had given evidence before his testimony was “suddenly interrupted” last Friday, is now unavailable and will not be available into the immediate future.
Mr Justice McDermott said that, in those circumstances, the court could not continue with the trial.
He remanded Mr Kilroy in custody and listed his case in the next list to fix dates on November 28 next.
The jury had heard that Ms French Kilroy died from strangulation with a ligature, as well as blunt force trauma to the head, and a stab wound to the neck.
Evidence had been given in the latest trial that gardaí detained Mr Kilroy under the Mental Health Act, after finding him naked in a field, where he told officers that he was on a pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick and “that God had put him on this path”.
Kilroy’s first trial collapsed before the Central Criminal Court last March, when trial judge Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring told the jurors that she had been left in the “unfortunate position” of having to discharge them.
