Psychiatrist was insane at time of murder

We somehow suspect that the shrink had been well medicated with anti-depressents, whose side effects include, among other things, homicidal thoughts and ideas, depending on the particular drug involved. Report from the BBC

A psychiatrist who drowned her daughter in a bath has been found not guilty of murder, by reason of insanity.

Lynn Gibbs, 47, admitted killing her 16-year-old daughter Ciara at their home in Gowran, County Kilkenny, in November 2006.

Both the prosecution and defence had argued at Dublin's Circuit Criminal Court that she had been suffering from a mental disorder at the time.

It took the jury 20 minutes to reach its conclusion.

Mrs Gibbs had taken an overdose of sleeping tablets and anti-depressants in an attempt to kill herself after drowning her daughter Ciara.

'Clearly depressed'

The jury had heard earlier from fellow psychiatrist and friend Dr Marese Cheasty, who had visited the house on the night Ciara died.

Dr Cheasty said although Mrs Gibbs was clearly depressed and her thinking distorted, she never thought she was a danger to herself or anyone else.

She said she had urged her to go into hospital, but Mrs Gibbs did not want to because she wanted to be there for Ciara, whom she feared was suffering from anorexia.

The court also heard from Mrs Gibbs' younger sister and her stepmother, who both told of their concerns for Lynn and Ciara's wellbeing in the preceeding weeks.

Ciara's father and brother found her body lying on the floor of an en-suite bathroom, while Mrs Gibbs was lying on the bedroom floor.

Mr Gibbs tried to resuscitate his daughter, but could not.

Mrs Gibbs told gardai two months later that she remembered running a bath and pushing her daughter under the water.

There are many more details in this report