A man was charged with the murder of a young Co Cork woman at Limerick District Court yesterday.
Mr Paulo Nascimento (26), single, a Portuguese national from Algarve, was charged with the murder of Ms Gráinne Dillon (24), Cedar Lawn, Annmount, Glounthaune, Co. Cork, at Jurys Inn, Lower Mallow Street, Limerick, on January 5th.
Det Garda Brian Sugrue, of Henry Street station, Limerick, gave evidence of arresting the accused under Section 4 of the Criminal Law Act 1997. He cautioned and charged him and explained the reason for his arrest.
He said the accused replied, "I am guilty" and signed the garda's record.
Det Garda Sugrue said that at 12.33 p.m. yesterday he charged the accused, and after caution he said: "I have to confess what I did. I shoot Grainne. I not was thinking 100 per cent right."
Defence solicitor Mr Aeneas McCarthy said his client "was not clearly unemployed". He asked for free legal aid and psychiatric aid for his client. An interpreter was in court but was not used.
Judge Tom O'Donnell , on the application of Insp John Scanlon, Henry Street station, remanded the accused in custody until Thursday. He granted him free legal aid and recommended that a full psychiatric assessment be carried out.
In a resumed hearing, Mr McCarthy applied to have an interpreter for each remand hearing. An interpreter from a Cork interpreting centre was appointed by the court. Mr McCarthy also requested that the defendant's replies should not be reported, as they could be prejudicial at a trial.
Judge O'Donnell considered the request and then said his function was to receive evidence of arrest, charge and caution, and make notes of replies.
"I do not propose to give a direction to the media regarding the facts as given. Regarding the charge of prejudice, this is a matter for a trial rather than a preliminary application," he said.
As the accused, dressed in a dark blue jacket and jeans, was driven away by gardaí with his hands covering his face, an onlooker shouted abuse.