Gardaí detained man accused of wife’s murder under Mental Health Act after finding him naked in field

James Kilroy (50), a park ranger, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murdering occupational therapist Valerie French Kilroy (41)

A court heard on Thursday that when James Kilroy was brought to hospital, he told gardaí that he wanted to make a confession and said: 'I killed my wife.'

Alison O'Riordan

Thu Nov 9 2023 - 17:37

Gardaí detained a man on trial accused of murdering his wife 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”.

A garda also told the Central Criminal Court jury on Thursday that when the accused James Kilroy was brought to hospital, he told gardaí that he wanted to make a confession and said: “I killed my wife.”

Mr Kilroy (50), a park ranger, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murdering occupational therapist Valerie French Kilroy (41) at their rural home at Kilbree Lower, Westport, Co Mayo, between June 13th and 14th, 2019.

Garda Leanne Nallen from Westport Garda station told Dean Kelly SC, prosecuting, today that she was in a patrol car at 9.30am on June 14th, 2019, when she got a call about a naked man running through a field in Derrygorman outside Westport.

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Garda Nallen said she called to the home of Clare O’Grady, who informed her that she and her husband Niall Corrigan had seen a naked man running through a field. The witness went to meet Mr Corrigan, who showed her where the naked man was in the field.

The garda added: “As I got close and approached the male, he was naked and covering his genitals with his hands. He had scratches all over his body and was dirty”.

The naked man told Garda Nallen that his name was James Kilroy, that he was on a penance pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick and “that god had put him on this path”.

The witness said Mr Kilroy seemed very distressed and she formed the opinion he was suffering from a mental disorder. It was likely, she said, that Mr Kilroy could have caused serious harm to himself so he was detained under the Mental Health Act. She wrapped two towels around the accused and walked him to the patrol car.

Garda Nallen said Mr Kilroy was brought by ambulance to Mayo University Hospital where a consultant carried out an assessment to transfer him to an adult mental health unit.

The witness said Mr Kilroy wanted to speak to gardaí in private to tell them something. The doctor asked the accused whether she should leave and Mr Kilroy said “that would be best”.

Mr Kilroy, the garda continued, stated he wanted to speak to gardaí to make a confession and said: “I killed my wife.”

Garda Nallen agreed with counsel that until this point gardaí had no suspicion of Mr Kilroy having done anything criminal.

After the accused was cautioned, Mr Kilroy told gardaí he had escaped from his house and that his wife’s name was Valerie. The accused said he and Valerie had a row about him not doing enough and that it had happened four days previously. He said there was an altercation that night and he had been stabbed in the back by Valerie. He said he and Valerie were divorced, and that he didn’t know where his wife lived.

Garda Nallen said she informed her sergeant about the disclosure Mr Kilroy made so that someone could attend the Kilroy home to see whether what the accused had said was true.

Under cross-examination, Garda Nallen agreed with Patrick Gageby SC, defending, that she spoke to the accused’s GP who informed her that Mr Kilroy was not under the care of any psychiatric service, that he was not aware of him having any similar episode to this and that this was completely out of character for his patient.

The next witness, Garda Colm Boyle, said he went to the accused’s home at Kilbree Lower at 3pm on June 14th, where he observed blood splatter on the bathroom wall and large clumps of hair in the sink.

The witness said he conducted a search around the back of the house, where a green camper van was parked facing a wall in the shed. A large amount of blood was at the rear of the vehicle and the sliding door of the camper van was left open but the garda was unable to see into it. The witness said a wooden fold-up table was blocking his path so he walked around the other side of the camper van to see into it.

The garda told the jury he saw a hand belonging to a body, which he now knows to be Ms French Kilroy, hanging out from the sliding door area with a wound to the wrist. He said the body was lying on its left hand side in a curved position with the knees bent forward towards the chest. There was a car seat placed at the front of the head.

Garda Boyle agreed with counsel that Ms French Kilroy had passed away and it appeared she had met a violent death.

In his opening address, Dean Kelly SC, prosecuting, told the jury that while Mr Kilroy admits to killing Ms French Kilroy four years ago, psychiatric testimony from expert witnesses will be central to their verdict in the case.

The trial continues on Friday in front of Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of seven women and five men.