‘Stress triggered psychosis that led woman to start fire’ – court
STRESS triggered a psychotic episode that led a woman to start a fire which killed her father at their home, a court heard yesterday.
Emma Sadler is on trial for the manslaughter of her father Robert at their house in Llanrumney, Cardiff.
The 28-year-old denies the charge on grounds of insanity.
Giving evidence at Cardiff Crown Court, consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Philip Joseph told the jury he believed the case was “clearcut”.
The legal definition of insanity is: “A defect of reason caused by a disease of the mind.”
It is for the defence to prove that at the time of the incident, the defendant did not know what she was doing, or if she did, she did not know it was wrong.
Dr Joseph said: “In this case, Emma did not know what she was doing was wrong.”
He added: “Having seen a number of these cases over the years, I think this one is fairly clear-cut.”
The court heard that Sadler believed she became unwell from December 2015, after her methadone prescription ended.
Dr Joseph said she was experiencing a lot of stress, due to factors including an abusive boyfriend, family circumstances and a change of medication.
He concluded the stress triggered a “psychotic episode” and told the court she was affected by either schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder at the time of the incident.
The court heard Sadler told psychiatrists she could hear voices from “little people” on her windowsill and believed she had to die to set them free.
She stated she believed she was alone in the house when she started the fatal fire with paper and a cigarette lighter at Llanrumney Avenue on January 10, 2016.
Dr Joseph said Sadler reported seeing angels and bats and also believed she was a ghost.
When asked why she had started the fire in the cupboard under the stairs, the defendant replied: “The land is cursed.”
The psychiatrist said she told him she believed her house was built on the site of a former boarding school and there were ghosts there.
He said: “Her ability to reason was impaired.”
The court heard she was transferred to The Dene psychiatric hospital in Brighton after her arrest, as there were no beds available at the Caswell Clinic in Bridgend.
Dr Joseph said Sadler was assessed and judged to be fit to enter pleas and stand trial.
Prosecution and defence agree that Sadler “deliberately” and “intentionally” started the fire.
The trial continues.