Sister of garda murder accused planned to admit him, trial hears

A man accused of murdering Detective Garda Colm Horkan became severely mentally unwell the day before the shooting and his sister planned to have him admitted to a psychiatric hospital, the Central Criminal Court heard on Friday. Marian Bruen, a schoolteacher, told the trial of her brother Stephen Silver that during a phone call she noticed he was hyper-stressed, speaking rapidly, and displaying signs of paranoia. She recognised these as indicators that he required hospital admission. Silver, aged 46, a motorbike mechanic from Aughavard near Foxford in County Mayo, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. The offence occurred at Castlerea, County Roscommon on 17 June 2020. A prosecution consultant psychiatrist, Professor Harry Kennedy, told the court he did not believe Silver qualified for a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. He stated the accused showed no remorse during gardaí interviews and maintained heightened emotional states without evidence of fixed delusions. The trial continues.