A 55-year-old man, Billy Burns, has been convicted of murdering his 75-year-old mother, Miriam Burns, in a tragic case that unfolded in County Kerry. The incident occurred on August 15, 2022, at their home in the Ardshanavooly housing estate in Killarney. Despite pleading not guilty by reason of insanity, a jury at the Central Criminal Court unanimously found Burns guilty after six hours of deliberation. Sentencing is scheduled for Friday, where victim impact statements are expected to be presented. Miriam Burns died from asphyxia due to manual strangulation and blunt force trauma to her head. The trial revealed that Burns had been living rough in Killarney at the time of the murder. He had returned home on August 12, 2022, leading to a heated argument witnessed by neighbors. Burns later returned to the house, where he stayed overnight. Miriam was last seen alive between 20:00 and 22:30 local time. She stopped responding to calls and texts later that night, and it is believed she was killed after 22:00. Burns was seen leaving the next morning and later returned to remove items from the house in an attempt to destroy evidence. When family members became concerned, they asked neighbors to check on Miriam, who was found dead in her living room on August 15. Burns was arrested the following day and re-arrested in February 2023 after further investigations. The defense called psychiatrist Dr. Eugene Morgan, who argued that Burns met the criteria for a not guilty verdict by reason of insanity. However, Dr. Stephen Monks, a consultant psychiatrist at the Central Mental Hospital, testified that Burns understood the nature of his actions despite his mental illness. State Pathologist Dr. Margaret Bolster confirmed that Miriam’s injuries were consistent with multiple blows, manual strangulation, and possible suffocation. In closing arguments, prosecuting Counsel Sean Guerin emphasized Burns’s history of aggressive behavior towards his mother, attributing it to his abuse of drugs and alcohol rather than psychiatric illness. Burns’s denial of involvement and false statements to police further demonstrated his understanding of the crime. Judge Karen O’Connor adjourned sentencing until Friday.