Murder accused Mohamed Morei to face fitness to plead hearing

TOM TUITE

A youth accused of murdering a Japanese man in a stabbing in Dundalk is to face a fitness to plead hearing to determine whether he should stand trial, a court has heard.

Mohamed Morei, 18, has been held in custody since January 4th after he was charged with the murder of 24-year-old Yosuke Sasaki on the previous day at the Long Avenue, in Dundalk, Co Louth.

He was unable to attend 11 subsequent hearings at Cloverhill District Court and has been receiving ongoing medical care in the Central Mental Hospital. In June five additional charges were put to him.

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He appeared again at Cloverhill District Court on Thursday when Judge Alan Mitchell was told the book of evidence was not ready.

Mr Morei, dressed in a tracksuit, listened to the proceedings with the help of an Arabic interpreter but did not address the court.

Defence solicitor Barry Callan asked for a two-week adjournment for a psychiatric report on his client to be completed. He said he wanted the report to be completed "to determine my client's fitness to plead or otherwise".

He cited Section Four of the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006 saying Mr Morei would be sent forward to Central Criminal Court on that issue alone and that would determine whether or not there would be a trial.

A State solicitor said the book of evidence was not yet complete but in light of the issue being raised by the defence it will only be served on the accused if he was found fit to plead and stand trial.

The prosecution acknowledged that in those circumstances the defence application was appropriate.

The judge directed that a copy of the psychiatric report would be handed over to the defence.

Mr Callan said he expected it would be ready next week.

Judge Mitchell further remanded the accused in custody to appear again on September 6th next.

In addition to murder, he faces five other charges – assault causing harm to two named men at the Inner Relief Road and on Quay Street, in Dundalk on January 3rd, criminal damage to a car rear window at the Long Avenue, on the same date and trespass with intent to cause criminal damage at a property. The final charge was for obstruction of gardaí at Dundalk station.