Man faces charges in pensioner death probe

A MAN is due to appear in court this morning, charged in connection with the death of an 80-year-old pensioner in Dublin last week.

The 22-year-old man was arrested yesterday morning, in relation to the death of Vincent Plunkett.

The accused will appear before Dublin District Court at 10.30am and will be charged in relation to the death.

The dead man, a convicted stalker, had been found with his throat slit on August 14 in a sheltered housing unit in Dublin’s south inner city.

Gardaí at Kevin Street arrested the man shortly before 7.30am yesterday.

A visiting home help found Mr Plunkett’s body after calling to the ground floor apartment at Robinson’s Court, Cork Street.

A post-mortem examination showed the pensioner suffered a violent death, with stab injuries to his head and throat.

Mr Plunkett, a retired traffic warden from Athlone, Co Westmeath, was given a three-month suspended sentence and fined eight years ago for terrorising a young married couple. Mr Plunkett, then aged 72, put dog faeces through their door and sent abusive letters.