Neighbour in his 40s charged with pensioner murder
Appropriate assessment
A MAN in his late forties has appeared in court charged with the murder of his 77-year-old nextdoor neighbour in Dublin over the weekend.
Pensioner Peter McDonald was stabbed to death on Whitechapel Road, Clonsilla, on Saturday morning.
His neighbour, Patrick McDonagh, appeared before Blanchardstown District Court yesterday morning charged with his murder.
Shortly before 6am on Saturday, gardaí responded to reports of an assault outside a house in the area. Mr McDonald was found with a number of stab wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene, which was later preserved for a technical examination. Mr McDonagh was later arrested, after a stand-off with gardaí, at his home on Whitechapel Road.
He was taken to Blanchardstown Garda station and held there under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 for questioning.
He was then charged, in the early hours of yesterday morning, with the murder of Mr McDonald, and later taken to Blanchardstown District Court to appear before judge Gerard Jones. Mr McDonald was dressed in dark trousers, red runners, a grey top and wore a facemask during his court appearance. Detective Garda Seán Burke gave evidence that he was arrested and that he ‘made no comment after caution’. Mr McDonagh made no reply when the charge was put to him and he was handed a copy of his charge sheet.
The judge asked if he understood what was happening and Detective Garda Burke replied that he did.
Mr McDonagh was remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court via video-link this coming Friday.
The district court does not have the jurisdiction to consider bail in a murder case.
Defence solicitor Sandra Frayne said that her client had ‘psychiatric difficulties’ and she asked that the court should order a psychiatric evaluation of him.
She asked the court to recommend that her client get an appropriate assessment and medical treatment while he is being held in custody.