IN a rare occurrence both the prosecution and defence in a Launceston murder trial have called for the same verdict.
Yesterday in the Supreme Court in Launceston both counsels asked the jury to find William John Christopher McFardzean Foran, 53, not guilty of murdering his mother by way of mental illness.
Mr Foran has pleaded not guilty to murdering Margaret Foran in their shared Newnham unit last April.
In his closing argument Crown prosecutor John Ransom said two expert witnesses had given evidence that Mr Foran was a "very ill man suffering from psychosis" at the time.
"You should be satisfied first of all Mr Foran murdered his mother and second of all was insane when he did so," he said.
"The verdict I've proposed and (defence counsel Tamara Jago's) proposed, I'd suggest, is the right one."
Mr Ransom said the jury might be questioning why the Crown brought the matter to trial if it agreed with the defence.
"(The answer is) we didn't, parliament did," he said.
Under the current legislation only a jury can deliver an insanity verdict.
In her closing address Ms Jago said finding her client not guilty by way of mental illness was not an acquittal.
She said the verdict would enable the judiciary to proceed in a way that put Mr Foran's actions in their "proper context".
"This is a very sad and tragic case," she said.
The jury is expected to retire today following directions from Justice Helen Wood.
