GARDAÍ have charged a 21-year-old Kilrush man with the murder of Karl Haugh at the Marian Estate in Kilkee last August.
Detective Garda Padraig Frawley gave evidence of charging Robbie Walsh of 20 Island View, Kilrush, with murder, at a sitting of Ennis District Court on Wednesday.
In reply to the murder charge, Mr Walsh said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to do it”.
Mr Walsh, who is represented by Patrick Moylan, solicitor, had been charged with assault, intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to Karl Haugh at Marian Estate on Sunday, August 6.
However, on Wednesday, Inspector Tom Kennedy, prosecuting, said the State was withdrawing that charge and it was struck out.
Judge Patrick Durcan pointed out that it had no jurisdiction to deal with bail in the case of a murder charge.
Mr Moylan outlined that a bail application would be made to the High Court.
A Book of Evidence is to be prepared and the matter will be going forward to the Central Criminal Court.
Separately, Mr Walsh faced two other charges, including an offence for failing to comply with the directions of a garda to leave the area at Circular Road, Kilkee on August 6, 2017.
He is also charged that on July 8, 2017 he had possession of an extendible steel baton at Francis Street, Kilrush.
The charge states that this was “intended by you unlawfully to incapacitate or intimidate a person, either in a particular eventuality or otherwise to threaten or intimidate members of the public”.
Jurisdiction was accepted in the case.
Mr Walsh was remanded in custody to reappear by video link at Ennis District Court on October 25.
Carol Byrne
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.