Man charged with murder of Somali national at Kerry Ipas centre

A 49-year-old man has been remanded in custody after he was charged with the murder of one asylum seeker and the wounding of another at an International Protection Accommodation Services (Ipas) centre in Co Kerry over the weekend.

The Somali national, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was brought before a special sitting of Killarney District Court on Sunday evening. He was charged with the murder of another Somali national at Ballymullen Barracks, Tralee on October 31^st.

He was also charged with a second offence of causing harm to another Somali national at Ballymullen Barracks, Tralee on the same date, contrary to Section 3 of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997.

Det Sgt James Hurley of Tralee Garda Station gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution and told how, with the assistance of a Somalian interpreter, he arrested the accused at Tralee Garda Station at 3.22pm for the purpose of charge.

He said that at 3.56pm he charged him with both offences and gave him true copies of both charges but that the accused made no reply to either charge.

The accused heard Insp Tim O’Keeffe apply for a remand in custody to appear at Tralee District Court on November 4^th by video link on both the murder and assault charges.

Judge Joanne Carroll said she was granting the State application as she had no jurisdiction to grant bail on a murder charge in the district court, and she remanded the accused in custody.

Defence solicitor Nuala Liston said the only application she was making at this stage was that her client be medically assessed when he was brought to prison. She confirmed after consulting with her client that he was not on any prescription medication.

The judge directed that the prison governor would ensure that he was medically assessed on admission to prison and that he would receive any medical attention that might be required.