The parents of a man beaten to death by a psychotic neighbour have claimed it is “unacceptable” he was living near to their son.
Richard McLaughlin was found not guilty by reason of insanity of the murder of 20-year-old Jimmy Loughlin at Connolly Street in Sligo last February.
It emerged during the trial a psychiatrist had previously raised concerns the 32-year-old, from The Laurels, Woodtown Lodge in the town, was at risk of killing someone.
Following the verdict, parents Paula and Michael Loughlin said their son had never met McLaughlin before.
In a statement read on their behalf, they added: “To discover someone so dangerous was living just a few doors down the road and known to mental health services is totally unacceptable.
“Jimmy was the light of our life. He was so funny and always lived his life to the full.
“We never thought his hopes, plans and future were soon to be taken away from him.”
The court heard McLaughlin broke down the door of Mr Loughlin’s home and beat him with a crowbar while suffering from delusions brought on by paranoid schizophrenia.
Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan said he died from traumatic head injuries.In the months leading up to the attack, McLaughlin had begun hearing voices and believing he was Lucifer.
Two psychiatrists agreed his mental illness meant he did not know what he was doing was wrong.
As part of his evidence, Dr Anthony Kearns of the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum told the trial of a letter written by Dr Paul O’Connell in 2012.
Having examined a “paranoid and very deluded” McLaughlin at St Columba’s Psychiatric Hospital, he had expressed concern about the risk of him either murdering a woman known to him or of “stranger homicide”.
Outside court, the Loughlin’s spokesman John O’Keefe said: “The family do believe there are questions to be answered with regard to the mental health services.
"They hope that at the Coroner’s inquest in October those questions will be answered.”
McLaughlin’s lawyer said his mother Mairead wished to express her “deepest sorrow” to the family for the death of their “entirely innocent son”.
Justice Carmel Stewart extended her sympathy to Ms McLaughlin who, she said, had also lost her son.
She then directed Dr Sally Lenihan at the Central Mental Hospital to draw up a report regarding ongoing treatment for McLaughlin which the court will hear on July 16.
