A young autistic man has been returned to the Central Mental Hospital after a jury found him NOT guilty of murdering his mother by reason of insanity.
Bijan Afshar of Killarney Road in Bray, Co. Wicklow will be assessed by a team of medical experts before the court decides the best course of action.
Our Courts Correspondent Frank Greaney reports:
Bijan Afshar, whoÂ’s 23, was diagnosed with AspergerÂ’s syndrome in 2008 - the same year his parents separated.
His trial heard he became withdrawn and unpredictable after moving from primary to secondary school.
He spent endless hours playing computer games and would become disproportionally distressed to any change to his routine or environment.
On June 26th 2014, he called over to his mother to plead with her to delay the sale of the family home where he lived with one of his four brothers.
His two younger brothers, who lived with their mother, found her lying in a pool of blood on her kitchen floor a few hours later.
Bijan had beaten her to death with a mug but two psychiatrists concluded he wouldnÂ’t have been able to refrain himself because of his condition.
The jury returned with the special verdict after deliberating for 54 minutes. He'Â’ll now undergo further assessment in the Central Mental Hospital.
