A 16-year-old boy appeared in court yesterday charged with the manslaughter of an English man whose body was found in west Dublin at the weekend.
The Tallaght teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged at the Children's Court with the unlawful killing of James Burke (21) from London, on September 23rd, at Quarryville, west Dublin.
Garda Sgt Noel Doolan told Judge Catherine Murphy that he arrested the boy at his home shortly after midnight yesterday. He was then taken to Ronanstown Garda station where he was charged in the presence of his father.
He made no reply to the charge when cautioned.
Sgt Doolan applied for the teenager to be remanded in custody due to the seriousness of the charges and due to fears of possible interference with the main witness in the case.
He told Judge Murphy that the witness has been the defendant's girlfriend for a number of years and he had threatened her twice over the weekend.
"He has made contact with her since the event and has told her, 'I will make your life hell if you tell anybody what happened.'"
The teenager had contacted her twice, once by mobile phone, and then later in person when the alleged threats were again made, Sgt Doolan said.
Defence solicitor Christopher Ryan made an application for bail for his client. He said the boy had gone to the Garda station on Saturday and made a full and frank statement.
He said he did not believe the alleged threats were grounds for remanding the boy in custody as his client and his girlfriend later went to the gardaí.
The boy and his mother interrupted the proceedings to deny the threat allegations.
Judge Murphy called for order in the court.
The teenager later told the court: "I swear to God, really I would never say anything."
Legal aid was granted and Judge Murphy refused bail.
The boy was remanded to St Patrick's Institution to appear before the court again next week.