Two men have been remanded in custody charged with the murder of Kieran Quilligan, whose skeletal remains were found dumped in Co Cork last week more than five months after he went missing.
There was tight security at Cork District Court as Niall Long (31) and Luke Taylor (26) appeared in connection with the murder of the 47-year-old at a place within the State on a date unknown between September 1st last and January 29th contrary to Common Law.
Det Garda Brian Barron of the Bridewell Garda station gave evidence of arresting Mr Long, of St Michael’s Close, Mahon, Cork, at 6.04pm on February 5th and charging him with Mr Quilligan’s murder. He said Mr Long made no reply to the charge after caution.
Det Anne O’Sullivan of the Bridewell Garda station gave evidence of arresting Mr Taylor, a native of Mahon but currently of no fixed abode, and charging him with the murder at 4.04pm on February 4th. She said Mr Taylor replied “I didn’t murder no one” when the charge was put to him after caution.
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Sgt Pat Lyons noted that because the men face murder charges it was not possible for them to apply for bail at District Court level. He sought a remand in custody until February 24th for the Director of Public Prosecution’s directions, but acknowledged they would not be available by then.
Judge Mary Dorgan remanded both men in custody to appear again on February 24th by video link from Cork Prison. She also granted both men free legal aid.
There were angry scenes as Mr Long was led away from the courtroom with relatives of Mr Quilligan shouting at him.Judge Dorgan said she accepted his relatives were distressed, but that people should be silent in court.
Gardaí escorted several members of Mr Quilligan’s family from the court after Mr Long was charged, with one man shouting an apology to the judge as he left. Several women who remained in court became very upset and were crying as Mr Taylor was charged.
Mr Quilligan, originally from Bakers Road in Gurranebraher, was last seen alive on CCTV footage at St Finbarr’s Place,at 9.15pm on September 1st. He had left his accommodation at Cork Simon’s emergency shelter on Anderson’s Quay at 8.30pm.
His largely skeletal remains were found at the bottom of a scrub covered gully some 7km from Midleton,by a sniffer dog and his handlers on January 29th.
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