Farai Chirashi: Mother charged with murdering five-year-old son deemed insane by prosecutors

Farai Chirashi allegedly tore her son's heart from his chest during the incident

Alva, Clackmannanshire, where Scott Chiriseri died. (Callum Black/Creative Commons)

A mother charged with murdering her five-year-old son and ripping his heart from his body has been deemed insane at the time of the incident, and will not stand trial for his death.

Scott Chiriseri was found injured at his home in Alva, Clackmannanshire, on 5 December last year. He was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Following the schoolboy’s death, his mother, Farai Chiriseri, was initially charged with murder and held under mental health legislation.

Prosecutors today accepted a not guilty plea from Ms Chiriseri, who is also known as Chirashi, after her lawyers argued she was insane at the time of Scott’s murder, and could therefore not be held responsible for her actions.

The High Court in Glasgow also heard evidence from consulting forensic psychiatrist John Crichton, who explained that Ms Chiriserihad suffered delusions and hallucinations of “abnormal religious content”, the Daily Record reported.

Ms Chiriseri is currently being held in at the secure Orchard Clinic hospital in Edniburgh, after being diagnosed with a “schizophreniform psychotic illness”, according to the newspaper.

Last year, the newspaper reported that paramedics were shocked to discover that Scott’s heart had been removed during the incident.

The young boy was laid to rest in January. Around 200 mourners heard tributes to Scott, who was described as "loved by all his friends" and an expert at the Mario Kart computer game popular among children.

The prosecutors’ statement came during a hearing before a judge today, after medical experts unanimously agreed that Ms Chiriseri was insane during the incident.

A Crown Office spokesman said: “The unanimous opinion of the expert reports available to the Crown concluded that the accused was insane at the time of the incident, and therefore could not, in law, be found to be responsible for her actions.

"We have therefore accepted that she was incapable by reason of mental illness of appreciating the nature or wrongfulness of her actions. The Crown is satisfied that the public will be protected by her detention in a secure hospital."

Scott’s family are understood to have been kept informed about developments in the case.

Additional reporting by PA