Mother cleared of murdering her three children at their Dublin home on the grounds of insanity

A mother who smothered her three children aged three, seven and nine has been cleared of murder on the grounds of insanity. 

Deirdre Morley, 44, was accused of murdering sons Conor McGinley, nine, and Darragh McGinley, seven, and daughter Carla McGinley, three, by smothering them on at their home on January 24 last year.

The bodies were discovered by their father Andrew McGinley at their home in Parson’s Court, Newcastle, Co Dublin.

Morley, who worked as a nurse, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity during her trial at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, Ireland – a view supported by two consultant psychiatrists, one for the defence and one for the prosecution.

She was returned to the Central Mental Hospital, where she has been receiving treatment before she returns to court at the end of the month where trial judge  Mr Justice Paul Coffey will formalise the hospital order. 

Deirdre Morley, 44, was accused of murdering sons Conor McGinley, nine, and Darragh McGinley, seven, and daughter Carla McGinley, three, by smothering them on at their home on January 24 last year

The children’s bodies were discovered by their father Andrew McGinley at their home in Parson’s Court, Newcastle, Co Dublin

The court heard how Ms Morley had a severe psychotic depressive illness. She was suffering bipolar affective disorder type two, a recognised mental disorder.    

Mr Justice Paul Coffey said there was no contest about the verdict and previously told the jury: ‘The doctors are unanimous in their opinions that the accused was legally insane when she killed her three children.’

The jury of ten men and two women were told they must be satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that Ms Morley was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the killings. 

The jury found her not guilty on all three charges on the grounds of insanity. 

The tragic triple murder took place on January 24 last year in Dublin, Ireland, after thecourt heard that by January 2020 Morley had slipped into a state of delusion and psychosis.

She smothered her three children and Mr McGinley discovered their bodies at the family home.  

Giving a eulogy at his children’s funeral earlier this year, Mr McGinley said his children had been fans of Lego, the Foo Fighters and the Disney film Frozen (pictured, Mr McGinley and his three children) 

Andrew McGinley looks to the skies during the funeral of his children

Their mother Morley, who worked as a nurse at a hospital in Dublin, was found by police ‘wandering the streets’ in a ‘disoriented state’ shortly before the bodies were found.  

She was taken to Tallaght University Hospital in Dublin where she later told medics she  ‘wished she had a time machine’, the court heard. 

The children’s father Mr McGinley has been left devastated by the tragedy.

Shortly after Connor, Darragha and Carla were found dead, he told parents to ‘cuddle your children whenever you can’ and admitted ‘every breath is a struggle’.

Giving a eulogy at his children’s funeral earlier this year, Mr McGinley also said his children had been fans of Lego, the Foo Fighters and the Disney film Frozen. 

He went on: ‘We often misuse words. When Ireland would lose a match, I used to say I was heartbroken. I now know what that really means.

‘We, as a family, are heartbroken.’ 

He added: ‘Conor, Darragh and Carla. I love you, I love you, I love you.’