Courts

Man (20) charged with murder of teenager Marius Mamaliga in Swords

Brandon Gavin has been in custody since February 25th and will face future trial at Central Criminal Court

Marius Mamaliga had been sitting in his car when he suffered severe injuries.

Tom Tuite
Wed Jul 19 2023 - 13:44

A young man is to stand trial accused of murdering teenager Marius Mamaliga who died following a stabbing in Dublin in February.

Brandon Gavin (20) was initially charged under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act for causing serious harm to the 19-year-old at Forest Court, Swords, on the evening of February 23rd.

Mr Mamaliga had been sitting in his car when he suffered severe injuries.

Paramedics were attending to the injured party on the ground unconscious as gardaí arrived, and he was in a critical condition when rushed to Beaumont Hospital.

READ MORE

Marius Mamaliga, from Swords and formerly of Blanchardstown, died in hospital three days after the incident.

Following directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mr Gavin was further charged with the murder of Mr Mamaliga contrary to common law.

He appeared before Judge Cephas Power at Cloverhill District Court on Wednesday when Detective Garda Conor Tumbleton gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution.

Judge Power heard that Mr Gavin, of Brookdale Road, Rivervalley, Swords, “made no reply” to the charge when it was put to him at 10.41am on Wednesday.

Det Gda Tumbleton said the DPP directed that Mr Gavin would face “trial on indictment on one count of murder”. The previous charge, under section four of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, was withdrawn.

Mr Gavin had been held in custody with consent to bail since his first hearing on February 25th.

Dressed in a grey hoodie and blue jeans, he did not address the court on Wednesday and is yet to indicate a plea.

He could not seek bail on the new, more serious charge. The District Court does not have the jurisdiction to consider a bail application in murder cases, which require an application before the High Court.

Judge Power granted him legal aid following an application from defence counsel Sharon Rossiter. Earlier in the proceedings the court had heard he was unemployed.

Mr Gavin was remanded in custody to appear again on July 26th pending the preparation of a book of evidence. It needs to be served on him before the District Court can grant a return-for-trial order to send him forward to the Central Criminal Court.

At his first hearing on February 25rd, Det Gda Tumbleton said Mr Gavin handed himself into gardai after his father brought him to Swords station an hour and twenty minutes after the incident.

LATEST STORIES