Man charged with Rossiter murder

A man has been remanded in custody after being charged with the murder of Shane Rossiter, who was shot dead in Tipperary in October.

Maurice “Mossy” Power, aged 29, with an address at Dranganbeg, Kilmoyler, Cahir, Co Tipperary, was brought before a special sitting of Clonmel District Court yesterday after being charged on Saturday night with the murder of Shane Rossiter, aged 30.

The court heard the accused told gardaí after being charged in the Garda station: “The man would still be alive today if he didn’t drive me to what I done”.

Mr Rossiter was shot dead at about 6.45am on the morning of Oct 19 after he answered the front door at a house at Church Lane in the village of Golden, Co Tipperary.

His younger brother, Brian, was 14 when he died in hospital in 2002, three days after falling into a coma at Clonmel Garda Station after being arrested under the Public Order Act.

Mr Rossiter’s father Pat Rossiter and uncle Michael Keating were in court yesterday for the special sitting and sat at the opposite side of the courtroom from the accused, who was brought from the Garda station by three detectives.

Maurice Power wore a grey Adidas hoodie along with black Nike tracksuit bottoms and a pair of black trainers.

He was not called on to speak during the court sitting except when he was asked by Judge Terence Finn to confirm his identity and his age.

Sgt John Keane told the court he arrested Maurice Power at 8.40pm on Saturday at Clonmel station and charged him at 9.27pm. The accused said, in reply to the charge: “The man would still be alive today if he didn’t drive me to what I done.”

Insp Patrick O’Callaghan asked for the accused to be remanded in custody and solicitor Eamonn Hayes asked that legal aid be granted as the accused was on social welfare.

Judge Finn granted free legal aid and remanded the accused to appear before Cashel District Court this Wednesday.

Mr Rossiter and Mr Keating left the courthouse after speaking with Det Insp William Leahy, who is leading the murder investigation, before Maurice Power was driven away by gardaí.

Seven people were arrested last Monday as part of the probe into the murder of Shane Rossiter and a further three people were detained on Tuesday. All but three of the 10 — eight men and two women ranging in age from early 20s to early 40s — have been released without charge. As well as Maurice Power, two men remain in custody.