A Dublin youth has been remanded in custody after he was charged with assault causing serious harm in connection with the death of a man in Blanchardstown on Halloween night.
The 17-year-old youth, an apprentice electrician, was charged at the Dublin Children's Court with assault causing serious harm to Mr Michael Murphy (31), a father of two from Fortlawn Avenue, west Dublin, on October 31st at Blanchardstown shopping centre.
The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, remained silent as the evidence of his arrest was given to the court. His mother was not present during the short proceedings because she had been delayed, defence solicitor Ms Una McEvoy said.
Det Sgt William Kelly, Blanchardstown station, told Judge Angela Ní Chondúin that at 10.59 p.m. on Monday night, he arrested the teenager on Main Street in Blanchardstown. He was taken into the station where he was handed into the custody of the duty sergeant.
Det Sgt Kelly said the youth was handed a copy of the charge in the presence of his mother. His reply to the charge after caution was "No".
Det Sgt Kelly applied to have the teenager remanded in custody for a week but consented to bail with an independent surety.
Judge Ní Chondúin granted legal aid after hearing that the teenager earned €200 a week and his mother was unemployed.
Ms McEvoy submitted that the teenager's mother would not be in a position to offer an independent surety for her son. Applying for bail, she said the youth has never been before the courts and he had presented himself voluntarily to the Garda station. Det Sgt Kelly asked the court to order the teenager to sign on twice weekly at Blanchardstown station and to surrender his passport if he was released on bail.
He said a file was being prepared for the DPP and applied for a one-week adjournment pending further charges.
Judge Ní Chondúin remanded the teenager in custody to St Patrick's Institution for one week with consent to bail in his own bond of €500 and an independent surety of €4,000, half of which, she said, must be lodged in court.