FIVE PATIENTS WHO were found not guilty of crimes by reason of insanity have been discharged from the Central Mental Hospital in the past 12 months.

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has said, up until the end of April of this year, three patients were conditionally discharged from the hospital and two patients were unconditionally discharged, having been found not guilty of an offence by reason of insanity.

Of the conditionally-discharged patients, one patient was released in May 2017, one in February 2018 and one in April 2018. Of the unconditionally-discharged patients, one was discharged in June 2017 and one in November 2017.

Some of the patients were charged with more than one offence, said the minister.

To preserve the confidentiality of the patients, Flanagan said the offences have been listed together.

The offences included two homicides, possession of a firearm, three counts of false imprisonment, assault causing harm, two counts of robbery, one count of theft, assault and causing serious harm contrary to Section 4 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997.

All of the patients were found “not guilty by reason of insanity” in line with Section 5 of the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006, said the minister.

It states that the accused person was suffering at the time from a mental disorder, and could not to be held responsible for the act.