A MAN appeared before a special court sitting on Saturday night charged with murdering a pensioner in Limerick last Thursday (July 10).
Philip Ambrose (43), of no fixed address, did not reply when charged with murdering Michael Hayes (71), Gardaí told Limerick District Court.
Mr Ambrose, who appeared in court dressed in a dark top and pants and a grey t-shirt, did not speak during the brief late-night hearing before Judge Alec Gabbett.
Garda Aoife Quinn told the court she arrested, charged, and cautioned Ambrose in respect of the murder of Mr Hayes.
Ambrose was arrested by Gardaí last Friday morning, a few hours after Mr Hayes was allegedly attacked near his home in Limerick City Centre around 11.30pm last Thursday night.
Mr Hayes was found with critical injuries at St Michael’s Court, Watergate, and, despite paramedics and doctors best efforts, he was pronounced dead at University Hospital Limerick.
Garda Quinn said she arrested Mr Ambrose at Henry Street Garda Station at 6.35pm on Saturday for the purpose of charging him with the murder of Mr Hayes.
The murder is alleged to have occurred at St Michael’s Court, Watergate, Limerick City – a block of apartments where Mr Hayes had been living.
Garda Quinn gave evidence that Mr Ambrose “made no reply to the charge after caution”.
Mr Ambrose’s solicitor, Turlough Herbert, of Herbert and Co Solicitors, Limerick, told the court that his client was not applying for bail.
The solicitor explained in court that the question of bail did not arise as bail applications in respect of a murder charge can only be made before the High Court.
Mr Herbert made an application before the court for legal aid on behalf of the accused and said Mr Ambrose was in receipt of a “disability allowance”.
Judge Gabbett acceded the application and granted Mr Ambrose free legal aid.
The judge ordered that a psychiatric evaluation be conducted in respect of Mr Ambrose.
Judge Gabbett remanded Mr Ambrose in custody to Limerick Prison to appear via video-link before Limerick District Court again on Tuesday (July 15).
