MOTHER WHO MURDERED HER SON WITH A GOLF CLUB ORDERED TO PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL
A woman named Alison Gorrie, aged 36, was involved in a tragic incident where she battered her five-year-old son Brendan to death with a golf club on Christmas Day.Brendan was struck at least six times, leading to fatal head injuries.
Gorrie subsequently jumped from the window of her flat, falling about 10 metres (30ft), and sustained spinal injuries which rendered her unlikely to fully recover.
The high court in Edinburgh heard that Gorrie suffered from a depressive mental illness and had limited memory of the attack, suffering from hysterical amnesia.
She pleaded guilty to culpable homicide after being initially charged with murder.
The court ordered her to be detained in a psychiatric hospital, with supervision upon release, due to her mental state overlaying her actions.
Her lawyer, Paul McBride QC, indicated that a psychiatric bed at the Royal Edinburgh hospital was arranged for her.
The judge, Lord Macfadyen, emphasized that the case was tragic and that a hospital order would serve both public interest and her welfare.
Brendan’s father, Bruce Gorrie, expressed that although there was no positive outcome, the court’s decision was as good as they could hope for, and he did not blame Alison Gorrie for what had transpired.
Gorrie, who had studied philosophy and psychology at Edinburgh University and had previously lived in Oxford, arrived at court in a wheelchair following her fall.
Medical assessments revealed that Gorrie had a history of depression, with her mental health significantly impacting her actions during the incident.
During the investigation, she was found in a courtyard outside her flat, begging not to be treated, stating: 'I've done something terrible.
Don't treat me, I want to die.' She had spent Christmas Eve with her estranged husband and had even called a doctor because she felt homicidal, but refused ambulance treatment at that time.
The court considered her mental illness as a mitigating factor in the tragedy, calling for careful and prolonged treatment.
