Man who stabbed Japanese victim to death sent to Central Mental Hospital

A man who claimed he was fighting for Isis and was found not guilty of murdering a Japanese man by reason of insanity was committed to the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) on Friday.

Mohamed Morei's detention at the CMH will be reviewed every six months by a review board as psychiatrists continue to assess his mental health, a brief hearing at the Central Criminal Court heard.

Mr Morei (21),an asylum seeker of no fixed abode and originally from Egypt, was charged with murdering 24-year-old Yosuke Sasaki by stabbing him at Long Avenue, Dundalk, Co Louth on January 3rd, 2018.

He also assaulted two men nearby on the same morning leaving one of them requiring stitches to a head wound. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity of Mr Yosuke’s murder and of assault causing harm to the two men. A jury returned the same verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity on further charges of criminal damage to a car and of robbery by trespassing and causing criminal damage to a building in Dundalk.

His trial heard that when he was questioned by gardai he said he was “fighting for Isis” and stabbed Mr Sasaki “for God”. However, Detective Inspector Martin Beggy told the trial Mr Morei showed signs of “serious thought disorder” and his claims of links to terrorism were “totally incoherent”.

He added: “There is no evidence to suggest any links whatsoever to terrorism.” Two consultant psychiatrists found that Mr Morei was suffering from schizophrenia at the time and was therefore unaware that his actions were wrong and was unable to refrain from his actions.

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Consultant psychiatrist Dr Mary Davoren on Friday told prosecution counsel Sean Gillane SC that she is Mr Morei’s treating doctor and last met him on December 16th following his trial. She said she told him that his first priority is to learn English so that doctors at the CMH can carry out an accurate assessment of his mental health and to allow him to take part in therapeutic services.

She said he shows a “superficial understanding” of his condition and is currently neither depressed nor elated nor is he reacting to hallucinations. She said he no longer shows evidence of psychotic thinking.

However, she said that if he were not committed to the Central Mental Hospital she fears he would be at high risk of relapse because his understanding of his need for treatment is very limited.

She added: “If released I would have great concerns he would stop his medication and disengage from the services.” She said he continues to suffer from schizophrenia and recommended that he be returned to the Central Mental Hospital under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act. Under the Act, his condition will be reviewed every six months by the review board. Ms Justice Carmel Stewart accepted the psychiatrist’s recommendations and committed Mr Morei to the CMH.

Following the verdicts earlier this month the deceased’s older sister Shiori Sasaki in a written statement said she cannot understand, “why a mentally unstable foreign national, whose origin was unknown, was allowed to be in the town.”

She said Mr Morei (21) had his rights protected but her brother was deprived of his human rights. “It is truly infuriating and will forever be unforgivable,” Ms Sasaki said.

Mr Sasaki’s father Akifusa, in a powerful statement, wrote: “If there is a god, I resent him. Why did Yosuke have to die?”

The deceased’s girlfriend Kerry Vincent said she was “beyond happy” before Yosuke’s death. She said: “Losing the man I love in such a horrific way has impacted every aspect of my life and every person in my life.” He was, she said, “my best friend... I will miss him forever.”