Body of Dean Fitzpatrick is brought to church

Conor Lally Crime Correspondent

The burial Dean Fitzpatrick, The 23-year-old father of one was stabbed to death at an apartment in Northern Cross, Malahide Rd, north Dublin, last Saturday week is due to take place this morning.

The funeral was delayed due to a legal dispute over the funeral arrangements between his separated parents. His step father Dave Mahon was named during last week's court hearing as a suspect and he has been questioned about the fatal stabbing after presenting himself to gardai. The deceased's mother Audrey remains in a relationship with Mr Mahon, though he did not attend the removal mass last evening at the Church of the Holy Trinity, Donaghmede, north Dublin, where the family is from.

There was a low level Garda presence last evening, with one garda in uniform standing at the door of the church and a number of other uniform members on mountain bikes in the general area. Around 150 mourners gathered for the service concelebrated by Fr Eoin McCrystal. The mourners were led by the dead man’s partner Sarah and his father, with whom he had been living for periods in recent years, and by his mother.