A 58-year-old Scot has been remanded in custody after he was charged yesterday with the murder of a 54-year-old mother of two, whose body was found in the boot of her abandoned car in Waterford city earlier this week, writes Barry Roche, Southern Correspondent, in Waterford.
Mr Samuel Jennings was charged at Waterford District Court with the murder of Ms Mary Walsh, Woodale, Glendalligan, Kilrossanty, at Ashtown, Kilmacthomas, on August 30th.
A debt collector, Ms Walsh was last seen alive when she left her home at about 8.50 a.m. to deposit a sum believed to be over €10,000 in a bank at nearby Kilmacthomas.
Her family alerted the Garda. Two days later, her blue Hyundai Coupé was found at Cathal Brugha Street in Waterford city and gardaí discovered her body in the boot of the car.
Mr Jennings, who lived in Ashtown, Kilmacthomas, arrived at Waterford District Court amid tight security yesterday and was quickly ushered into the courtroom surrounded by plainclothes gardaí.
Det Noel McSweeney told the court he had arrested Mr Jennings outside Tramore Garda Station for the murder of Ms Walsh at 11.29 p.m. on Thursday, and Mr Jennings replied: "I am stunned - I didn't do it."
Det McSweeney said he later cautioned and charged Mr Jennings with Ms Walsh's murder at 12.37 a.m. and asked him had he anything to say.
Mr Jennings replied: "No, I don't. I didn't do it - what can I say."
Mr Jennings's solicitor, Mr John Purcell, said his client was a married man with a three-year-old child. He was retired but would not start receiving a pension until he reached 60, and Mr Purcell asked that he be granted free legal aid. Mr Purcell added that his instructions from his client were to apply for bail.
But Judge Terence Finn pointed out he didn't have jurisdiction to deal with bail for a murder charge, and the application would have to be made in the High Court.
Insp Tom O'Grady applied to have Mr Jennings remanded in custody. Judge Finn remanded him in custody in Cork Prison to appear again at Waterford District Court on September 9th.
Mr Jennings didn't speak during the five-minute hearing at the start of yesterday's regular sitting of Waterford District Court.
Earlier, the Garda had released without charge a 33-year-old woman, who had been arrested on suspicion of withholding information about Ms Walsh's murder. A file is being prepared for the DPP on the matter.