A 29-year-old man has been further remanded in custody in connection with the killing of a young Brazilian woman whose badly beaten body was found in a flat in Cork City centre on New Year’s Day.
Brazilian Miller Pacheco made his third appearance at Cork District Court today on a charge that he murdered Bruna Fonseca (28) at Liberty Street, Cork on January 1st contrary to Common Law.
Sgt Gearoid Davis told the court that gardaí were still awaiting the DPP’s directions in the case and he applied for a two week adjournment and a continuing remand in custody for the accused.
Defence solicitor, Aoife Buttimer, consented and Mr Pacheco, who was appearing by video link and assisted by a Portuguese interpreter in court, indicated that he understood the application.
Judge Olann Kelleher granted the state application and remanded Mr Pacheco in continuing custody to appear again at Cork District Court by video link on February 13th for the DPP’s directions.
A native of Formiga in the state of Minas Gerais, Ms Fonseca was a qualified librarian who had come to Ireland to improve her English and she was working with a contract cleaning company in Cork before her death.
Her cousin, Maria Fonseca, and a niece, Marcela Fonseca, set up a Go Fund Me page to help with funeral expenses and €54,000 was raised to repatriate her body to Brazil.
Ms Fonseca, who is survived by her parents, Tadeu Jose Fonseca and Marina Dos Reis Palhares Fonseca and sister, Izabel, Cristina and Fernanda, was later buried in Formiga on January 16th.
