A 16-YEAR-OLD boy has been charged in the Children's Court in Dublin with the murder of Aidan O'Kane, the 50-year-old man who was killed in a gun attack in the city last Sunday night.
Mr O'Kane, a widower and father of one, was shot as he chased a number of teenagers away from his home on Shelmalier Road, East Wall, Dublin 3. He was fatally wounded in the stomach in a laneway between Shelmalier Road and Bargy Road, not far from his home.
Dressed in a hooded grey and black Adidas tracksuit, the northeast inner city Dublin boy, who cannot be named because he is a juvenile, was taken by gardaí into the Children's Court in Smithfield in Dublin's north inner city just before 4pm yesterday.
In a hearing lasting just under five minutes the boy, who was accompanied by his parents, remained silent as Judge Bryan Smyth heard details of his arrest.
Det Sgt Martin Connolly told Judge Smyth that he arrested the accused at 2.25pm yesterday at Store Street Garda station for the "offence of murder contrary to common law".
The slightly built teenager, who is about 5ft 5in (165cm), with mousey brown hair, was charged at the station at 2.35pm in the presence of his parents. The court was told he made no reply when the charge was put to him.
Det Sgt Connolly applied to the court to amend the date of birth on the boy's charge sheet.
Defence solicitor Margaret McEvilly consented to the request.
The court was told the boy was aged 16 years.
The teenager remained silent and impassive during the brief hearing during which he looked around at his parents sitting on a bench at the back of the courtroom and then to the gardaí giving evidence.
Det Sgt Connolly told Judge Smyth he was applying for a remand in custody for one week.
Judge Smyth, noting the defendant's age, said the place of remand would be St Patrick's Institution, in the Mountjoy Prison complex.
As he was preparing his order, Ms McEvilly asked him to recommend medical attention for the boy. She said he was on "specific medication and perhaps he can see medics on arriving at St Patrick's Institution".
Judge Smyth agreed to recommend medical assistance and remanded the boy in custody to appear on December 17th. He granted legal aid, to which there was no Garda objection.