A murder trial has begun in Ireland for the killing of Jasmine McMonagle, a mother of two, who was found by police in a pool of blood after being attacked by her on-off partner Richard Burke. Burke pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, and two psychiatrists will be heard to agree that he was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the killing which substantially diminished his responsibility. The prosecution noted that Ms McMonagle had been in a relationship with Mr Burke since 2016 and had contacted police with safety concerns. When police arrived, Mr Burke wielded a meat cleaver at officers before a three-hour stand-off ensued. Gardaí forced their way into the property when Mr Burke opened fire which revealed that Ms McMonagle had already been fatally attacked, but her two children were unharmed. The court will consider Mr Burke’s mental state at the time of the killing.
