A male defendant has been detained, facing allegations of murdering a two-children father who succumbed to injuries from a stabbing incident in Finglas, Dublin, on a Thursday. Michael Ryan (51) was severely wounded and was attended to by emergency services at approximately 12.30am on Hampton Wood Way, on St Margaret’s Road. Joseph Lawlor (38), an unemployed man living on Hampton Wood Road in Finglas, was presented before Judge John Hughes at the Dublin District Court on a Saturday morning.
The victim, Mr Ryan, from Carton Road, near Poppintree in Ballymun, Dublin, was transported to the Mater hospital by ambulance where he was officially declared dead on the aforementioned Thursday. The site of the incident was kept intact by the police, and the State Pathologist was informed to conduct an autopsy.
Finglas police detained and charged the suspected murderer on Friday evening for committing Mr Ryan’s murder on June 20th at Hampton Wood Way, a crime against standard law. At his brief hearing on Saturday morning, Mr Lawlor, dressed in a navy-blue jumper, grey joggers, and black footwear, silently stood with clasped hands.
Garda Shane Gallagher informed the court that Mr Lawlor was charged at 17:17 on Friday. Gallagher handed over an authentic copy of the charge, to which Mr Lawlor had nothing to add. The jurisdiction of the District Court doesn’t extend to considering bail in murder cases as they necessitate applications to be made in the High Court.
Kevin McCrave, defence barrister, directed by solicitor Niall O’Connor, requested his client’s detention until his appearance at the Cloverhill District Court the upcoming Friday. The defendant preferred appearing in court in person for future proceedings instead of via video conferencing. Following this, Judge Hughes asked if the garda intended to provide Mr Lawlor with a book of evidence or update him about the Director of Public Prosecutions’ (DPP) instructions. Gallagher suggested that the case should be registered for the DPP’s directives.
Following the details of the defendant’s financial state, Judge Hughes granted legal aid, as he noted that Mr Lawlor was jobless and surviving on social benefits. Mr Lawlor was detained to appear in court on June 28th, while he is yet to announce his plea.