Youth charged with assault after Halloween death

A Dublin youth was today 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, a 31-year-old father of two from the Fortlawn Avenue area, in west Dublin, on October 31, at Blanchardstown shopping centre.

The Blanchardstown youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was dressed in a blue sweater, tracksuit bottoms and runners and 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.

Detective Sergeant William Kelly, Blanchardstown Station told Judge Angela Ni Chonduin that at 10.59 on Monday night he arrested the teenager on Main Street in Blanchardstown.

The teenager was then 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 told the court.

Det-Sgt Kelly applied to have the teenager remanded in custody for a week but consented to bail with an independent surety.

Judge Ni Chonduin granted legal aid after hearing that the teenager earns €200 a week and his mother is unemployed.

Ms McEvoy, defending, also 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 court to order the teenager to sign on twice weekly at Blanchardstown garda station and to surrender his passport if he was released on bail.

He said a file is being prepared for the DPP and applied for a one-week adjournment pending further charges. He consented to the teenager’s mother acting as a bail person.

Judge Ni Chonduin 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.