A court has heard that the daughter of a woman who is on trial in relation to her death was suffering from post-natal depression before her mother's death.
Eleanor Joel, 37, and her partner 39-year-old Jonathan Costen of Cluain Dara, Enniscorthy have both pleaded not guilty to the unlawful killing of 59-year-old Evelyn Joel by neglect.
Clinical psychologist Dr Brian Glanville gave evidence at Wexford Circuit Criminal Court today.
He said he had conducted a number of assessments on Ms Joel after her mother's death in January 2006.
He said there was disharmony between Eleanor's parents and that Eleanor had told him her's was a "weird" family in that nobody got on.
Dr Glanville said Eleanor had described not being allowed to go to discos or to socialise with friends and how she suffered from depressive episodes since the age of 13.
In the 14-month period that Evelyn Joel lived with her daughter from November 2004 until January 2006, Evelyn "probably only had one bath", the court heard.
Eleanor also told Dr Glanville that Jonathan seemed "increasingly annoyed" at Evelyn Joel's presence in the house in Cluain Dara and was "verbally aggressive".
The court heard Eleanor agreed in principle with his demands but she was not prepared to move her mother out.
Dr Glanville said Eleanor suffered from post-natal depression after the birth of her second child.
She also found a lump in her breast and this frightened her. She told Dr Glanville she was under financial strain and "wasn't coping".
Dr Glanville said Eleanor Joel had a "paranoid" personality in that she wanted people to like her but expects that they would not.
Defence witness Prof Patrick Carr who is an expert in nursing, also gave evidence of how Evelyn Joel suffered from "primary progressive MS".
"This is a one way street and there's no way back," he said.
He also said that Eleanor Joel had been put in an "impossible position". The trial continues.
