A MAN is expected to appear in court this morning to face charges in connection with the death last February of Tipperary farmer Danny Fanning. A special sitting of the district court is to be held in Cahir, where the man has been detained under the Offences Against the State Act since Saturday.
He was one of a group of four men and one woman arrested during dawn raids on houses in south Dublin on Saturday. He was still being questioned early this morning at Cahir garda station about Mr Fanning's death. The other four people were released yesterday.
Mr Fanning (73) bled to death after he was shot in the leg by members of a heavily armed and masked gang who broke into his home, between Cashel and Clonmel, on February 6th.
The men and the woman detained were all in their 20s and 30s. Three were questioned at Cahir Garda Station while the other two were detained in Clonmel. Whey were arrested and held for 24 hours, under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.
Yesterday a Garda chief superintendent authorised the detention of all five for a further 24 hours. But only the suspect to be charged was still being held in Cahir this morning.
There was widespread outrage and shock at the death of Mr Fanning, a well known cattle dealer. In the raid on his home, his wife Biddy and youngest daughter Rosaleen were also tied up by the gang.