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A 31-year-old man told gardaí: “He was my dad and I love him very much, and would have done anything for him”, after he was charged with murdering his father at their family home in Dublin.
Gerard Fortune (63) a care worker at St James’s Hospital, died from stab wounds following an incident at his house at Rutland Grove, Crumlin, on Sunday night.
Shortly after 8pm gardaí and emergency services were called to the house and Mr Fortune was removed by ambulance to St James’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
His son, David Fortune, also known as David O’Leary, with the same address, was remanded in custody after appearing before judge Mary Dorgan at Dublin District Court on Tuesday.
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He was charged with the murder of his father on August 19th, 2018.
The accused was arrested on Sunday and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Crumlin Garda station before he was charged.
Sergeant Brendan O’Halloran said he arrested David Fortune for the offence of murder of Gerard Fortune on August 19th at Rutland Grove, Crumlin.
The court heard he was charged at 1.55pm and given a copy of the charge sheet.
The court was told Mr Fortune replied: “I never meant to harm anyone. He was my dad and I love him very much, and would have done anything for him”.
The unemployed 31-year-old was visibly upset as he sat silently on the defendants’ bench while the details of his arrest were read out by the Garda sergeant.
The District Court cannot adjudicate on bail in murder cases.
The accused used the surnames Fortune and O’Leary, the judge heard.
The judge agreed to remand him in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on August 28th next.
The accused, dressed in a red Addidas T-shirt, grey tracksuit bottoms and black runners, gestured to relatives in the public gallery as he was led away from court.
The judge acceded to defence solicitor Brian Coveney’s application to grant legal aid to the accused. There was no Garda objection, she noted.
Mr Coveney said his client was unemployed and he furnished the court with a statement of Mr Fortune’s means.