Murder accused let out on bail

A man accused of the murder of his partner’s son, Dean Fitzpatrick, who died following a stabbing last year, has been let out on €15,000 bail.

Dean Fitzpatrick, aged 23, a father of one, was found at an apartment at Burnell Square, Northern Cross, on Malahide Rd, Dublin, and was rushed to Beaumont Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Mr Fitzpatrick, originally from Donaghmede in Dublin, was the brother of missing teenager Amy Fitzpatrick, who vanished in Spain six years ago.

Dave Mahon, aged 43, a former estate agent from Dublin who has been living in Spain with his partner Audrey Fitzpatrick, Dean and Amy’s mother, had been questioned by gardaí last year but was released as a file on the investigation was prepared for the DPP.

Last Wednesday, he was remanded in custody after he was formally charged with the murder of his partner’s son.

Detective Garda Brendan Meares had told Dublin District Court that the 43-year-old was “handed a true copy of the charge and made no reply after caution”.

Due to the nature of the charge, he had to bring his bail application to a High Court sitting at Cloverhill yesterday where Ms Fitzpatrick watched on from the public gallery.

Aoife O’Leary, defending, told Mr Justice Paul Butler there was consent to bail being set for Mr Mahon, whose address had been listed on his charge as the Crescent, Ongar Village, Clonsilla, Dublin 15.

She said the terms had been agreed and Mr Mahon was to be granted bail in his own bond of €10,000, of which €1,000 had to be lodged.

Ms O’Leary said it had been approved that the defendant’s father, Michael Mahon, would also act as an independent surety in the sum of €5,000.

There was no objection by the State to Mr Mahon getting conditional bail pending his trial.

Mr Mahon will face his next hearing at Cloverhill District Court tomorrow but has not yet formally indicated how he will plead, and a book of evidence has yet to be completed.