In a dramatic turn that has sent ripples through legal circles, the defence for Carlo Mangione, accused of the murder of shopkeeper Liam O’Connor in Manchester last November, has abandoned its psychiatric plea. The decision, confirmed in a pre-trial hearing at Manchester Crown Court on Monday, strips the case of its central mitigating argument and leaves Mangione facing a full murder trial without the prospect of a diminished responsibility verdict.
For the family of Liam O’Connor, a father of two who died after a confrontation outside his corner shop on Moss Side’s Claremont Road, the news brings a measure of clarity. “We always knew this was about justice, not excuses,” said his widow, Karen O’Connor, her voice steady outside the court. “Now the jury will see the truth.”
Legal experts, however, warn that the move is a high-stakes gamble. “Abandoning a psychiatric defence at this stage is unusual,” said Jessica Tran, a criminal barrister and legal analyst based in Manchester. “If the defence had a credible basis for diminished responsibility, they were entitled to pursue it. To drop it suggests either they lacked the evidence to convince a jury or they have a new strategy they believe is stronger.”
The case has gripped the city since O’Connor’s death, with Mangione, a 34-year-old Italian national and former warehouse worker, pleading not guilty. The prosecution alleges that Mangione attacked O’Connor during a dispute over a stolen mobile phone, leaving him with fatal head injuries. The psychiatric defence had been expected to argue that Mangione suffered from a recognised mental disorder at the time, reducing the charge from murder to manslaughter. Now, with that avenue closed, the trial will proceed on the basis that Mangione acted with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The decision has immediate practical consequences. Without the psychiatric defence, Mangione cannot benefit from a partial verdict. If convicted of murder, he faces a mandatory life sentence with a minimum term, rather than the discretionary life sentence that would have applied to manslaughter. The bar is also higher for a successful appeal if guilt is found.
“If the Crown has a strong case and the defence cannot prove diminished responsibility, this could be a sensible tactical retreat,” said Tran. “But it also removes a powerful narrative of illness and treatment. Juries often feel more comfortable with manslaughter verdicts in cases involving mental health. By dropping the defence, the defence team is betting that the jury will acquit entirely or that the Crown’s case is weaker than it appears.”
Outside court, the atmosphere was tense. Supporters of O’Connor held a silent vigil, their placards reading “Justice for Liam” and “No excuses for violence.” A small group of Mangione’s relatives sat in the public gallery, stoic and silent. The judge, Mrs Justice Carney, has ordered the trial to begin on 3 March, with a jury to be selected from the Greater Manchester area.
The case has also drawn attention from campaigners for victims’ rights and mental health advocates. “While we respect the legal process, we are concerned that dropping the psychiatric defence could stigmatise mental illness in courtrooms,” said Dr. Eleanor Rye, spokesperson for the Manchester-based charity Minds in Court. “But we recognise that every case must be judged on its own facts.”
For the O’Connor family, the focus remains on the trial. “We have waited nearly a year for this,” said Karen O’Connor. “We just want the man who killed Liam to be held accountable. That is all we have ever wanted.”
The development is likely to have repercussions beyond this single case. Legal observers note that the Crown Prosecution Service has been under pressure to improve its handling of cases involving mental health. The Mangione trial will be closely watched as a test of the revised guidelines issued last year.
As the court rose, the defence team declined to comment, leaving journalists and court watchers to speculate on the reasoning. What is certain is that when the trial begins in March, the question of intent, not illness, will be at its heart. For Liam O’Connor’s family, that is as it should be.
