Man charged with assault after father's death in Waterford

A 21-year-old man has been charged following the death of his father in Portlaw in County Waterford.

A young man has been charged with assault causing harm to his father in Co Waterford at the weekend.

John Butler, aged 48, was found with fatal head injuries at his home on Brown Street in Portlaw in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Emergency services were alerted and took him to University Hospital Waterford where he was pronounced dead.

His son, Stephen, was brought before a special sitting of the district court at Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary, this morning.

The 21-year-old year old, with an address at Ramsgrange, New Ross, Co Wexford, was charged with assault causing harm to his father on Saturday.

He did not speak during the brief hearing.

He was arrested on Saturday and detained at Tramore Garda Station, Co Waterford, for questioning.

Garda Sharon Ryan, based at Tramore Station, gave details of arrest, charge and caution before Judge Terence Finn.

Stephen Butler was charged with assault causing harm under Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Persons Act, 1997.

Garda Ryan said the defendant made no reply when cautioned.

The court was told that the State would be objecting to any application for bail based on the seriousness of the charge and the likelihood of a more serious charge.

Solicitor Ken Cunningham, representing the accused, said he was not making any application for bail at that sitting of the court and sought an adjournment to this Thursday.

Judge Finn remanded Mr Butler in custody to appear again before the court on January 16 at Carrick-on-Suir. An application for free legal aid was also granted.

The deceased was found inside his house at around 2.30am on Saturday.

He was taken by ambulance some 20kms to University Hospital Waterford, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

A section of Brown Street in Portlaw town was cordoned off pending the arrival of the Garda Technical Bureau.

A team was dispatched from Dublin and carried out an extensive examination inside and outside the property. The deceased was originally from Carrick-on-Suir and had been living in Portlaw for a number of years.