A wealthy New Yorker who strangled his father at a five-star midlands resort after the 66-year-old travelled from the US on a “mission of mercy” to help his son continues to suffer from a mental disorder and has been committed to the Central Mental Hospital (CMH), where he is undergoing treatment.
A Central Criminal Court judge made the order this afternoon, two weeks after a jury returned the special verdict of not guilty of murder by reason of insanity following the trial of Henry McGowan.
On February 12th at the Central Criminal Court, a jury accepted the evidence of two psychiatrists that the defendant was suffering from schizoaffective disorder when he killed his father just over an hour after arriving at the Ballyfin Demesne hotel and fulfilled the criteria for the special verdict.
McGowan (31), with an address at Clinton Street, Brooklyn, New York, had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of John McGowan (66) at Ballyfin Demesne, Ballyfin, Portlaoise, Co Laois, on November 12th, 2024.
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Brendan Grehan SC, prosecuting, told Judge Paul McDermott on Thursday that he had a report from consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Mark Joynt of the CMH.
Joynt, who appeared via video-link, said the defendant had been transferred from various units within the CMH to date, which has been based on him making satisfactory progress.
The witness told the prosecutor that McGowan has fully accepted his diagnosis of having a mental illness and his need for treatment.
Joynt also said the defendant had told him that he is absolutely committed to remaining on his medication – which includes a long-acting injectable antipsychotic medication – to prevent a relapse of his mental illness. Joynt said in his opinion McGowan’s symptoms and history are most consistent with schizoaffective disorder.
The expert witness said, having examined the defendant, he is of the view that he does present with a severe relapsing mental illness in the absence of appropriate care and treatment.
[ Death in Ballyfin: how a desperate father tried in vain to help his troubled sonOpens in new window ]
The witness said that because of the severity of the illness, the defendant’s judgment is so impaired that a failure to continue to detain him in the CMH could lead to a serious deterioration in his condition.
Joynt recommended that McGowan be returned to the CMH, where he will be further reviewed at regular intervals, and confirmed that there is a bed available for him there.
The judge committed McGowan to the CMH under the provisions of the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006 to continue his treatment until an order is “ultimately made in the future” under section 13 of the Act, when his “condition hopefully improves”.
The judge called it a “very difficult and traumatic case” for the McGowan family. He also referenced the trial and the jurors hearing how this “terrible tragedy had unfolded”. He said he could only wish McGowan well in the future and extended his sympathy to the family.
