'Petrified'wife put husband in mental institution
Murder trial hears GP told of regular assaults
Thursday July 01 2010
A doctor has told a cold-case murder trial that he committed a man to a mental institution two years before his death at the instigation of the man's "petrified" wife and daughter.
Dr Patrick Cullen recalled being called to the home of Bernard Brian McGrath in Lower Coole, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, on March 6, 1985, in an "emergency situation".
The man's wife, Vera McGrath, and daughter Veronica told him of recurrent recent assaults on them by Mr McGrath.
"They both seemed petrified and the daughter had bruises ++," Dr Cullen's notes read.
He explained to the jury at the Central Criminal Court that in medical shorthand, "++" meant "lots".
It was indicated to him that the man was suffering from hallucinations, paranoid delusions and was violent over mundane events.
Psychiatric
Dr Cullen told the court he was not the GP who had attended the McGrath family home who had found Mr McGrath partially dressed in women's clothing as the trial had heard the previous day.
At the time he attended in 1985, Dr Cullen said he recalled that Mr McGrath "wouldn't wait to be seen".
However, the GP signed the form for admission to St Loman's Psychiatric Unit in Mullingar for Mr McGrath to be received as a temporary patient.
On the form he wrote that the person "is not in my opinion capable of entering hospital voluntarily".
The form was signed by Mrs McGrath, who had applied for his committal.
Vera McGrath (61) has pleaded not guilty to murdering 43-year-old Mr McGrath at their home in Lower Coole on a date between March 10 and April 18, 1987.
Her former son-in-law Colin Pinder (47) of Liverpool, England, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter.
In February 1987, Dr Cullen was again called to the McGrath home, where a "shouting match" was in progress involving Mr and Mrs McGrath and their daughter Veronica. Two gardai also arrived from Granard station.
There was no sign of physical violence on that occasion, but Dr Cullen decided to get the man a bed for the night in a nearby holiday home.
Earlier, John Kiernan, a neighbour, said he knew Mr McGrath well.
He said he met him at St Loman's and that Mr McGrath "wasn't too happy with how he got there".
He had challenged the doctor on the signing in of Mr McGrath, who had been the one responsible for "putting the bread on the table for those children".
"Brian was a good man and Vera was a good mother to the children. They reared them together and they did their best," he said.
"Whatever happened that fateful night I don't know, but I know that anyway."
Meanwhile, retired garda Sergeant William Joyce told the trial that the septic tank at the McGrath home in November 1993, emptied in a garda search, had contained some small bones, a watch face and a crowbar. Two bones were also found at the rear of the house.
The trial continues.
- Nicola Anderson
Irish Independent
