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Murder Trial: Accused has personality disorder

Wed, 08 Apr 2015

A Castletown man who is standing trial for murder suffers from a personality disorder and morbid jealousy.

That's the opinion of a consultant forensic psychiatrist who has been giving evidence at the trial of 46-year-old Ian Anderson.

He denies killing 60-year-old gardener Neil Roberts, who was from Ballabeg, in 2013 - the man his wife was having an affair with.

Today Doctor Ramneesh Puri told the jury there was enough evidence to suggest Anderson had borderline emotionally unstable personality disorder.

He said a difficult childhood, with alleged physical and emotional abuse, plus two incidents of serious violence "would have no doubt adversely impacted the overall development of his personality".

Among the nine criteria Anderson met were a marked tendency to act unexpectedly without consideration of the consequences and a liability to outbursts of anger or violence.

The latter trait, the psychiatrist said, was "evident all along" in his life with difficulties with his family, work colleagues and his relationship with his wife.

One of the symptoms underpinning the personality disorder was said to be morbid jealousy - with Anderson struggling to accept his wife was having an affair with Mr Roberts.

Doctor Puri said it was his opinion that at the time of the killing Anderson would have been suffering with the personality disorder adding "the disorder has a direct link to violence".

Ian Anderson denies murder - the trial continues.

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