A man named Dylan Scannell, aged 30, has been detained in jail for a period of four weeks following allegations he was connected to the homicide of chef Ian Baitson in Cobh, County Cork. Mr Scannell, residing at O’Rahilly Street, Cobh, appeared via video from Cork Prison in front of Judge Colm Roberts at the Mallow District Court on Tuesday.
Earlier, at the Midleton District Court on a Monday, charges of murder related to Mr Baitson were levelled against Mr Scannell. The 33-year-old, was a father to two children and was subjected to severe injuries during a situation at a Cobh carpark on March 15th. His life ended in a hospital, four days later, on March 19th. It was shared with the court on Monday that Mr Scannell did not respond when the charges were read to him.
Sgt Majella O’Sullivan explained on Tuesday that the State would be seeking to keep Mr Scannell in custody for a fortnight or a month, depending on his willingness to consent to a prolonged duration of incarceration. This was in order to grant sufficient time for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to prescribe guidelines on how to progress the case.
Judge Roberts clarified that if Mr Scannell opted for two weeks of detention, he would likely be held in custody for another fortnight at the end of the term. He advised Mr Scannell to consent to a month-long detention, but emphasised that the choice was ultimately his.
Mr Scannell agreed to the four-week detention, a decision Judge Roberts referred to as “prudent” given that the issue was foreseen to “need ample time”. He ordered Mr Scannell to remain in jail and reappear in court via video on April 23rd for further guidance from the DPP.