A 16-year-old youth from Cavan appeared before Judge John Brophy at a special sitting of Virginia District Court on Saturday on charges relating to the death of 70-year-old Mr Patrick Jackson in the Bridge Street car park area of Cavan town last weekend.
The youth covered his head and face as he was led into the courthouse. He sat beside his mother as Garda Niamh McGarvey outlined evidence of arrest, charge and caution.
The youth was charged with assaulting Mr Jackson, from Marian Row, Ballinagh, in the Bridge Street car park on the evening of May 19th and causing him harm.
He was also charged with being in the Market Square, Cavan, on the same date with three or more persons and with using unlawful violence towards Mr Thomas Donegan, of Jubilee Terrace, Cavan.
A third charge accuses him of assaulting Mr Donegan at the same location.
The court heard that the youth made no reply when charged.
Supt Jack O'Connor applied to have the youth remanded in custody and said that he would oppose bail. He was of the view that the defendant was likely to cause violent disorder and said that he had intimidated witnesses before his arrest.
A solicitor representing the youth told the court that he was not seeking bail. His client had been in work for two weeks and that had been his only employment to date. However, the job was now gone.
The accused youth was granted free legal aid, but Judge Brophy refused bail. He was remanded in custody to St Patrick's Institution, Dublin, to appear in Mohill Court on June 1st.
Before Judge Brophy left the bench he said that he had been close to cancelling the court sitting after hearing a radio news report to the effect that the young person who was about to appear before him in Virginia was only 15 years of age. He was concerned that there might be no place to put him if he were only 15.
The judge ordered that the media should not disclose the young man's name or address.