THE closing arguments from the prosecution and defence teams will be made today (Wednesday) in the trial of Augher teenager, Sean Hackett, who is accused of killing his father last year.
It follows the completion of evidence in the trial which is being held at Dungannon Crown Court.
Barristers will present their closing statements before Mr Justice Stephens directs the jury of six men and six women.
The defence case, supported by leading psychologist Dr Phillip Pollock, is that the 19-year-old had a mental health condition that led him to shoot his father Aloysius Hackett dead at their family home in Aghindarragh Road, Augher on the night of January 4 last year.
However forensic psychiatrist Dr Fred Browne, who specialises in assessing “mentally disordered criminal offenders”, told the court Sean Hackett did not have depression or any other mental health condition.
The expert psychologist, who said Sean Hackett was suffering from a mental disorder when he shot his father dead, told the Crown Court the teenager knew his plan to kill one of his parents was both “immoral and illegal.”
Last week consultant forensic clinical psychologist Dr Pollock said the teenager had a conditional known as ‘Chronic Catathymic Homocide Disorder’ that compelled him to carry out the killing in the belief it would resolve the unhappiness he was experiencing.
He also told the jury, that the rising GAA star believed that by killing his father he would go to Heaven and look after him.
During the cross-examination Dr Pollock said the teenager “knew he was going to do a bad thing.”
Dr Pollock added, “He knew it was an illegal and immoral act.”
The psychologist also told the court the accused “was able to form a judgement that he was committing an act that was wrong.”
The expert witness explained the killing was carried out as a “cathartic act” in that its purpose was to relieve the depressive disorder that he had been suffering.
Mr Justice Stephens asked Dr Pollock whether the “depressive disorder” was a medical condition.
The psychologist replied: “Yes.”
Last week Dr Pollock explained to the jury the accused’s belief system that led him to taking his father’s life was “so irrational it was psychotic and delusional.”
Dr Pollock told the court his conclusion, having carried out extensive interviews with Hackett in Hydebank Young Offenders’ Centre, he suffers from such a condition which is an abnormality of mental function.
However, Dr Fred, who specialises in assessing “mentally disordered criminal offenders”, told the court Sean Hackett did not have depression or any other mental health condition.
Dr Browne interviewed the defendant three times last month and concluded he was capable of forming rational judgements at the time of the killing.
The teenager told both the psychiatrist Dr Browne and the psychologist Dr Pollock that, he felt down after the break-up of his relationship with his girlfriend in July 2012.
The Tyrone minor GAA star recalled losing interest in playing football and feigning injury to get out of training, drifting away from friends, leaving his college course and consuming more alcohol. He also told the medical experts he contemplated suicide.
Dr Browne said he asked Hackett what was the most disturbing thing to happen to him. Hackett replied the break-up with his girlfriend and doing exams. He noted that the teenager did not include killing his father or trying to kill his mother.
The psychiatrist commented: “He (Sean Hackett) talks of the death of his father as terrible as we would talk of the events in the Ukraine. It is as if it is distant and had a remote impact on him.” Referring to his medical report, Dr Browne said the killing was not carried out in anger or out of hatred for his father.
Dr Browne refuted the suggestion the teenager suffered a “depressive episode” while agreeing that he may have experienced some “depressive symptoms.”
The psychiatrist agreed with defence barrister Jim Gallagher that Hackett’s act of killing his father was “absolutely abnormal” but added: “It doesn’t mean he is suffering from a mental illness. It means he had an abnormal way of dealing with the situation.”
He told the court, regarding his feelings of unhappiness, Hackett said, “I was thinking if I went and done something far more important (killing one of his parents) it would take over my life. It was an escape but a far more extreme one.”
He also stated Sean Hackett “may be developing schizophrenia but currently there are not enough features to make a diagnosis of schizophrenia.”
While agreeing that his thinking was “abnormal, Dr Browne said, “It does not necessarily infer he has a mental illness.”
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