A 32-year-old man has been remanded in custody after appearing at Dublin District Court charged with the murder of Mark Cullen, who was fatally wounded in a shooting in Dún Laoghaire last summer, according to The Irish Times.
Edward Andrews, whose address was given as Radharc na Farraige in Wicklow town, was brought before Judge John Hughes on Saturday morning. Gardaí had arrested him earlier in the week for questioning before charging him with Cullen's murder.
Cullen, a father of three from Shanganagh Cliffs in Shankill, south Co Dublin, was shot in the leg at Patrician Park on Kill Avenue on Sunday, July 5th. He died at the scene of the attack.
Why it matters
The case concerns the killing of a 40-something family man in a residential part of south Dublin in broad daylight on a summer weekend, and Saturday's hearing marks the point at which the investigation moves from arrest and questioning into the courts. The proceedings also unfolded against the backdrop of a wider dispute over legal aid payments that has disrupted the criminal justice system, an issue raised in open court during the brief hearing.
Garda evidence and the charge
Det Sgt Grace O'Boyle of Dún Laoghaire station gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution. She told the court that when the murder charge was put to Andrews at 9.40pm on Friday, he answered "no comment."
Andrews had been held overnight ahead of Saturday's sitting. Because the District Court cannot decide on bail in a murder case — any application must go to the High Court — he was remanded in custody automatically. He is due to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Friday.
Solicitor's absence highlights legal aid dispute
Before the case was called, solicitor Edward Bradbury told Judge Hughes that while he usually acts for Andrews, he was unable to represent him in these proceedings because of the ongoing industrial action by solicitors. Members of the profession have withdrawn their services in response to reforms to legal aid payments introduced in July, which has caused disruption across the criminal justice system.
Bradbury said he had attended out of respect for his client, for his client's rights and for the court. He described the situation as placing everyone involved in the courtroom in an invidious position and said it was not acceptable from the profession's standpoint.
The court granted Andrews a legal aid certificate, though no solicitor had been assigned to him at that stage. Judge Hughes noted that very few solicitors in Dublin were working under the new scheme. He said the accused qualified for legal aid on the basis that he is unemployed and in receipt of social welfare.
What to watch: Andrews is scheduled to return to Cloverhill District Court on Friday, when the case is expected to be mentioned again.
