A 32-year-old man was last night remanded in custody after being charged with murdering a man whose body was found at the bottom of a flight of steps in Drogheda on Tuesday morning.
Mr David O'Brien, of Mill Court, Mill Lane, Drogheda, appeared before a special sitting of Drogheda District Court to face a charge of murdering 38-year-old Martin Murray of Ballsgrove, Drogheda, at Mill Court, Mill Lane, Drogheda, on or about August 10th.
The court was told by Garda Tom Quinn that Mr O'Brien had been arrested just before 3 p.m. on Tuesday and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
At 10.44 a.m. yesterday, on the directions of the DPP, he was released from the provisions of the act and re-arrested and detained for the purpose of charging him for the court. Garda Quinn said yesterday that he charged Mr O'Brien and after being cautioned, in reply to the charge, Mr O'Brien said: "I am guilty. If I had the last week to live over again I wouldn't change a single thing."
Solicitor Patrick Branigan, for Mr O'Brien, asked Judge William Hamill to fix bail for his client but the judge said that he did not have the jurisdiction to do so and granted the application by Garda Insp Vincent Rowan that Mr O'Brien be remanded in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court next Wednesday.
Mr Branigan then asked that Mr O'Brien receive urgent psychiatric assessment while in Cloverhill prison.
Insp Rowan told the court that a doctor who visited Mr O'Brien in the Garda station yesterday morning had recommended that he be closely watched in prison.
In relation to a second charge Mr O'Brien faces relating to breaching bail conditions set by Cork District Court last March, the judge remanded him in custody to appear before Anglesea Court No 1 in Cork tomorrow.