A MAN WHO claimed to be fighting for Isis when he stabbed a Japanese man to death on a public street has been found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity.

Egyptian native Mohamed Morei will be remanded to the Central Mental Hospital later today where he has been since he was charged with the murder of 24-year-old Yosuke Sasaki in January 2018.

He will appear before the Central Criminal Court again within two weeks when a plan for his ongoing treatment will be outlined to the court.

Morei (21), of no fixed abode, had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of Yosuke Sasaki (24) at Long Avenue, Dundalk, Co Louth on 3 January 2018.

He was also found not guilty by reason of insanity of assaulting two men causing them harm on the same day at Quay Street and Inner Relief Road in Dundalk.

The same verdict was returned for a charge of criminal damage to a car and of robbery by trespassing and committing criminal damage between 2 and 3 January 2018.

The jury spent 24 minutes considering their verdicts.

During the trial two consultant psychiatrists gave evidence that Morei was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time and did not know that what he was doing was wrong and was unable to refrain from his actions.

Following the verdict the foreman of the jury said: “The jury would like to express our sympathies with the family of Mr Sasaki.”

Justice Carmel Stewart thanked the jurors and exempted them from further service for five years. She also sympathised with the Sasaki family who traveled from Japan for the trial and will make a statement to the court later today.