Man found not guilty by reason of insanity for slashing another man's throat with a blade

David Raleigh

A man who slashed another man’s throat with a blade at an addiction treatment centre in Co Limerick six years ago was found not guilty by reason of insanity, following a two-day trial.

Sean Beumer, (29), Edenmore Crescent, Raheny, Dublin 5, admitted slashing Aaron Babbington’s throat with a makeshift knife which he made by fixing a razor blade to a plastic handle.

What the jury in the case did not hear was that Mr Babbington is presently serving an eight-year jail sentence following his conviction last April for attempted murder, after he admitted slashing another man’s throat with a broken vodka bottle in Cork in 2023.

Mr Babbington had admitted the attempted murder of Jason Butler, Middleton, Co Cork, at Grand Parade, Cork City, on June 14th, 2023. Mr Butler died at Cork University Hospital two days after Mr Babbington slashed his throat in an unprovoked attack.

Sean Beumer, represented by senior defence barrister Lorcan Connolly, instructed by Tony Collier Solicitors, had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to assaulting Mr Babbington, causing him harm, and to producing a bladed weapon during the assault.

A jury of seven men and five women delivered unanimous verdicts that Beumer was not guilty by reason of insanity at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday.

Consultant psychiatrist, Dr Ivan Murray, earlier told the jury that when Mr Beumer attacked Mr Babbington, he was in the throes of a “psychotic” episode as a direct result of him not receiving anti-psychotic medication.

Mr Beumer and Mr Babbington were both attending a residential alcohol detox programme at Cuan Mhuire addiction centre, Bruree, Co Limerick, when Mr Beumer attacked Mr Babbington at the smoking area of the centre, in the early hours of December 13th, 2019.

Mr Babbington (30s), Churchfield, Co Cork, sustained three slash wounds to his throat as well as a slash wound to his thumb in the attack by Beumer, and he received stitches at University Hospital Limerick.

Beumer’s trial heard he attended Cuan Mhuire on November 29th, 2019, with an established diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia; however, neither a GP who assessed Beumer for his suitability to attend Cuan Mhuire detox, nor Cuan Mhuire itself, had been aware of Beumer’s diagnosis.

While at Cuan Mhuire in the days leading up to the attack on Mr Babbington, Mr Beumer had requested medication, but he did not receive it. All of the detox participants' non-medical medications were discontinued in one with Cuan Mhuire’s detox policy at the time.

After his arrest, Mr Buemer told gardaí that psychotic thoughts and voices had been “building” in his mind leading up to the assault on Mr Babbington, and that he eventually “exploded” and slashed the Corkman’s throat with a razor blade.

Mr Beumer told gardaí that he had been experiencing hallucinations, which he claimed had “brainwashed” him into erroneously believing he and his family would be murdered if he didn't do what he did.

There was no CCTV footage of the attack, and there was no evidence that Mr Babbington had done anything to provoke Mr Beumer.

Defence witness, Dr Ivan Murray, who conducted an independent mental health assessment in respect of Mr Beumer, provided uncontested evidence that, in his “professional opinion”, there had been a “definite link” between Mr Beumer not receiving his anti-psychotic medication and him assaulting Mr Babbington.

Dr Murray said that, in his view, Mr Beumer had met the criteria to support his plea to the offences that he was not guilty by reason of insanity. Dr Murray said Mr Beumer had been “unable to refrain from his actions”, and that Beumer’s psychotic thoughts had “overwhelmed his decision-making” on the night.

The psychiatrist agreed with prosecuting barrister, Lily Buckley, that Mr Beumer’s schizophrenia diagnosis should have been flagged with Cuan Mhuire in advance of him attending there for alcohol detox.

Dr Murray said, in his opinion, Mr Beumer requires a “multi-disciplinary” medical approach to treating his schizophrenia, including a MRI scan on his brain in order to rule in or rule out the possibility, although a “rare” one, that Mr Beumer may be suffering from a “lesion” on his brain that he said could be causing his mental health issues.

Judge Colin Daly heard that Mr Beumer continues to suffer from schizophrenia symptoms despite being on anti-psychotic medication.

The judge ordered that a medical report in respect of Mr Beumer’s mental health needs be furnished to the court following a further assessment of Mr Beumer at the Central Mental Hospital within the next 14 days.