The youth charged with David Rooney’s murder

A 17-YEAR-OLD boy charged with the murder of a man in Dublin last summer has been remanded on continuing bail until next week when he is to be served with the book of evidence in the case.

The teenage boy, who cannot be identified because he is a juvenile, had been charged on December 24 last with the murder of 35-year-old David Rooney, at Clonmacnoise Road, in Crumlin, in Dublin, on July 2 last year.

Initially, he had been remanded in custody, but subsequently received High Court bail.

At the Children’s Court yesterday state’s solicitor Mr Ronan Cleary told Judge William Hamill that the book of evidence had been completed and was ready to be served on the teenager, who was accompanied by his mother.

However, defence solicitor Sarah Molloy said that she was asking for the case to be put back until next week. She explained that a woman, who is in her late seventies and acting as an independent surety for the teenage boy, was not present yesterday.

She said it was unusual, “in a matter of such seriousness” that the book of evidence would have been ready within a short time.

Judge Hamill agreed to remand the defendant to appear again next week when he is to be served with the book of evidence and be sent forward for trial to the Central Criminal Court.