A homeless man has appeared in court charged with the murder of former traffic warden Vincent Plunkett. Gerard Cullen Brady (22), of no fixed abode, was charged with murdering Mr Plunkett (80) at a flat in Robinson Court, off Cork Street, Dublin, between August 13th and 14th.
Mr Plunkett was found stabbed to death in his sheltered accommodation.
In Dublin District Court yesterday, Insp Gabriel O'Gara said he arrested Mr Cullen Brady at Parkgate Street on Thursday morning and he was brought to Kevin Street Garda station where he was charged on Thursday night.
In reply to the charge, he said "not guilty". Gardaí applied for him to be remanded in custody for a week.
His solicitor, Jenny McGeever, said her client had asked that gardaí escort him to Cloverhill Prison rather than in the Garda van in which prisoners are normally taken.
Judge Aeneas McCarthy said he had no jurisdiction in that matter.
However, Insp O'Gara said it would be possible to do so on this occasion, but not for future court appearances.
Judge McCarthy remanded him in custody to appear in Cloverhill District Court on September 1st. The judge said the question of who escorted him would not then be an issue as the prison is next to Cloverhill courthouse.
Mr Cullen Brady, dressed in a light rain jacket and jeans, did not speak during the brief appearance.