A DUTCH court has granted bail of £20,000 to an Irishman charged in connection with the death of a 14-year-old youth, writes Isabel Conway, in the Netherlands.
Judges in Roermond released Mr Michael J. Phelan (30), from Co Laois, from custody. He is charged with assault and causing the teenager's death after an argument. Mr Phelan, who worked on contract for a Dutch plant hire and cleaning company, was arrested on July 31st, the day after a late-night incident in Sevenum, close to the Dutch-German border.
Joep den Mulder (14) complained of a headache and later collapsed into a coma after he was allegedly struck on the head by the Irishman. He suffered brain damage and died four days later. His parents alleged in newspaper interviews that their son was the victim of a senseless attack after angry words were exchanged between him and a group of friends and two Irishmen who had been chatting to local girls.
Mr Phelan's Dutch lawyer has demanded an investigation into the actions of a local hospital, where doctors apparently found nothing amiss and sent the youth home when he sought help some hours later.