Man to go on trial for attempted murder of patient at psychiatric facility in Waterford

A jury has been sworn in for the trial of a UK national charged with the attempted murder of a fellow patient at a psychiatric facility.

James Greengrass, aged 25, who has an address at Chapel Place, Lismore, County Waterford, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the attempted murder of the other patient on February 3, 2023 at the psychiatry department of University Hospital Waterford.

The accused answered: “Not guilty by reason of insanity,” when the charge was read to him at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin this Tuesday.

The man’s alleged victim was one of the proposed witnesses included on a list which was read out by Mr Justice Sean Gillane.

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Mr Justice Gillane noted that the accused is a British national who, in common with his alleged victim, was an in-patient at the UHW psychiatric department at the time of the alleged offence.

The jury pool was told that the case would “involve issues of mental health”.

A jury of four men and eight women was empanelled and told that the trial would run for seven or eight days.

Mr Justice Gillane said the jury was to return on Thursday, when a judge would be assigned for the trial.