A GARDA inquiry is under way into the death of a 29-year-old man in Co Kildare on Tuesday.
The body of the Latvian man was discovered at a house in the Oaks housing estate, Newbridge, on Tuesday evening.
The man, who had sustained head injuries at the weekend, was pronounced dead at the scene and removed to Naas General Hospital.
The Irish Times understands that gardaí received a complaint from the victim on Sunday night that he had been assaulted. He was alive on Monday and Tuesday.
After his body was discovered on Tuesday evening, a postmortem was carried out by State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy. It revealed that the man had died from head injuries.
A Garda statement issued yesterday evening said: “A 42-year- old man was arrested on Tuesday night in connection with this investigation. He was taken to Naas Garda station, where he was detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
“He was subsequently charged with section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against The Person Act and appeared before Kildare District Court this afternoon. He was remanded in custody to appear before Naas District Court on Wednesday next, 1st April, 2009.”
Local people in the Oaks estate were shocked at the news.
“It is a good estate and nothing like this has ever visited it before. They are shocked and saddened that something like this is after happening,” Fine Gael Kildare county councillor Michael Nolan said. One elderly resident of the estate was particularly upset that this could happen on his own doorstep, Cllr Nolan said.
“I deeply regret the loss of life in the area – it is a shock,” said Fianna Fáil Kildare county councillor Pat Black. Cllr Black said many people in the town had not yet heard about the tragic death.
“I am surprised and shocked at the news, it is not common knowledge around the town,” he said.
Cllr Black added that there was a large community of Eastern European residents in the Newbridge area.
Deputy Mayor of Newbridge, Labour Councillor Séamus Finn, said it was sad to see the death of someone from abroad.
He said that now some family will have to suffer as a result.
The Oaks estate is long established residential area. It is located on the southern part of the town, just off the Kildare road.