Man who rubbed chilli powder on colleague’s face found not guilty of attempted murder

The Central Criminal Court trial of Jineesh John (43) heard that the defendant had developed a delusional belief that his former colleague had infected him with HIV by kissing him.

There had never been any physical contact between Mr John and the woman, the court heard, but he had developed a preoccupation of which she was unaware.

Mr Justice Paul McDermott today told the jury of seven men and five women that consultant forensic psychiatrists called by the prosecution and defence had agreed that Mr John fulfilled the criteria for the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006.

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Mr Justice McDermott told the jury that they must return verdicts in accordance with the evidence they heard.

The jury took about 40 minutes to reach their verdicts.

Mr Justice McDermott remanded Mr John to the Central Mental Hospital until July 28 when a psychiatrist will deliver a report regarding Mr John's ongoing treatment.

The judge also told the injured party in the case that she had shown "extraordinary courage". In other circumstances she would have an opportunity to address the court about what happened, he said, but he wanted to acknowledge the courage she showed in dealing with the situation in which she found herself. The court heard that she managed to calm Mr John down by talking to him.

Mr John, with an address at The Crescent Building, Park West, Dublin 12 had pleaded not guilty to attempted murder at a location in West Dublin on May 21, 2023.

Mr John also pleaded not guilty to making a threat to kill or cause the woman serious harm without lawful excuse, intending her to believe that the said threat would be carried out.

He further pleaded not guilty to falsely imprisoning the woman by intentionally or recklessly detaining her without her consent. In addition, the defendant pleaded not guilty to producing a hammer on the same date, while committing or appearing to be about to commit an offence of false imprisonment. The jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity on all counts.

Giving evidence in the two-day trial, Detective Garda Thomas Balfe told prosecutor Brendan Grehan SC that both the woman and the defendant worked in healthcare and they met in April or May 2021.

On May 21, 2023 Mr John arranged to call to the woman's house to fill out a church form. He arrived at about 8.30pm and she got into the car, not suspecting anything. However, Mr John then started to drive before pulling up on a footpath beside an industrial estate.

The detective said when the car was pulled over, Mr John told the woman to close her eyes as he wanted to give her a surprise. When she opened her eyes he was holding a hammer and rubbed a handful of hot chilli powder in her face, which stung her eyes and lips.

When the woman tried to get out of the car she could see that the doors were sealed with black sticky tape. She thought Mr John was going to kill her and started preaching at him not to do so.

The witness said Mr John kept saying: "I'm going to kill you, say your last prayer". He told her he had never killed before but he was going to kill her. Mr John told the woman that she had given him a sexually transmitted disease (STD) to which she replied that she had never slept with him. Mr John said he would only let her go on condition she said she gave him an STD.

Mr John proceeded to record on his mobile phone the woman saying she gave him an STD in 2021 despite never kissing or having sexual contact with him. He made another video of the woman saying she gave him an STD through kissing. He then dropped her home.

Det Gda Balfe said gardai later found a black-handled knife inside the driver's door of Mr John's car as well as a hatchet, a lump hammer and containers containing a chilli like substance. Black duct tape and adhesive taping were also seized from inside the passenger door as well as a Jerrycan containing petrol.

Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Stephen Monks, who was called by the defence, told Fiona Murphy SC that when he met Mr John in April and October 2024, Mr John remained 90 per cent convinced the victim deliberately infected him with HIV, despite medical evidence to the contrary. Numerous medical tests had shown Mr John to be negative for any sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.

Dr Monks said Mr John is suffering from delusional disorder and depression, which are both mental illnesses. He said Mr John's actions were directly driven by delusional thinking in response to the psychotic belief that he had been harmed by the victim.

He said Mr John met the three criteria for a mental disorder under the Criminal Law Insanity Act 2006; namely that he did not know the nature and quality of his act, that he did not know what he was doing was wrong and that he was unable to refrain from committing the act.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Ronan Mullaney, who was called by the prosecution, agreed with Dr Monks that Mr John was suffering from depression and a delusional disorder.

Such was the nature and degree of disturbance and impairment of Mr John's mental function that he did not know that his actions were wrong and he was unable to refrain. Dr Mullaney said Mr John therefore fulfils the criteria for the special verdict.