Jury told of diminished responsibility defence

The court heard howthere was little dispute that Carroll had killed his wife. Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, told the jury: “Weunderstand it is not in dispute by this defendant that he did kill his wife that morning. “You are likely to hear evidence from psychologists. “It is likely you will be asked to consider a particular defence which is only available in murder cases. It is called diminished responsibility. “It means if the defence is successful it reduces what would otherwise be murder to manslaughter.” The court heard a statement from psychiatrist Neil Hunt, who spoke to Carroll at Thorpe Wood Police Station after he had been arrested. He said: “I did not find evidence of him suffering from mental illness, and did not identify any other mental health needs.” Diminished responsibility is covered by the 1957 Homicide act. The act says: “Where a person kills or is a party to the killing of another, he shall not be convicted of murder if he was suffering from such abnormality of mind ( whether arising from a condition of arrested or retarded development of mind or any inherent causes or induced by disease or injury) as substantially impaired his mental responsibility for his acts and omissions in doing or being a party to the killing.”