A 38-year-old man has been remanded in custody after he was charged with the murder of a New Age Traveller whose body was found dumped in a slurry tank in West Cork almost three years ago.
Jason Thomas, with an address at Mount Pleasant Road, Exeter in England was charged with the murder of Englishman, Garry Bull (37) at Shanlaragh, Dunmanway, Co Cork on or about September 23rd, 2007.
Mr Thomas was brought before a special sitting of Clonakilty District Court this morning where Det Garda Maurice Shanley have evidence of arrest, charge and caution and asked the accused if he had anything to say and Mr Thomas replied "Not at this minute".
Insp Colin Collins told the court that Mr Thomas had been arrested at Cork Airport on Wednesday night following his extradition to Ireland from the UK on a European Arrest Warrant in relation to the killing.
He applied to have Mr Thomas remanded in custody and Judge Tim Lucey remanded the accused in custody to appear again at Clonakilty District Court on August 12th. He also granted Mr Thomas free legal aid.
Two women, Amanda McNab (25) and Una Geaney (44), both with addresses at Mullinagleamig, Dingle, Co Kerry were charged last May with Mr Bull's murder and have been returned for trial to the Central Criminal Court.
The arrest and charging of Mr Thomas and the two women followed a lengthy investigation by gardai in West Cork into the murder of Mr Bull whose body was found in a slurry pit at the farm at Shanlaragh, north of Dunmway on October 10th 2007.
Gardaí had to drain the slurry pit to remove Mr Bull's body and a post-mortem by Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster revealed that he had died from severe head injuries consistent with being struck with some blunt instrument.
A native of Herfordshire, Mr Bull had been living in a mobile home in the Kilmichael area of West Cork between Dunmanway and Macroom, having come to live amongst the 200 or so New Age Traveller community in the nearby Coole Mountain area around 2004.
Two men and a woman have already appeared before the courts in relation to withholding information from gardai investigating the murder and all three have received suspended sentences at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.