Cameron murder charge teen in court...
tearful teenager is charged with strangling student, 18
A TEENAGER appeared in court yesterday accused of the murder of Cameron Reilly.
Aaron Connolly faced one charge that he allegedly murdered the student in May.
The 18-year-old, from Willistown in Drumcar, Co Louth, said nothing when he made a brief appearance at Drogheda District Court.
Det Sgt Fearghal O’toole told the hearing he arrested Connolly at 6.04pm on Thursday in Willistown and brought him to Drogheda Garda station.
The officer said he charged him with the murder of 18-yearold Cameron at Shamrock Hill, Dunleer, Co Louth, on May 26.
He told the hearing the accused made no reply when he was charged.
Wearing a white and coloured T-shirt and grey tracksuit bottoms, Connolly was unshaven and had a goatee beard.
He appeared tearful and looked straight ahead during the short hearing.
Gda Insp John O’flaherty asked the court to remand Connolly in custody.
Judge John Coughlan asked the officer if the accused was over 18 and was told he was.
Connolly’s solicitor Peter Lavery applied to the court for free legal aid. Judge Coughlan then remanded the accused in custody to Cloverhill District Court to appear by video link next Thursday.
Connolly’s parents were in the court building when the hearing took place.
A small group of people who said they knew Cameron had gathered outside.
The accused was brought to and from Drogheda Garda station to the courthouse using a back entrance.
Cameron’s body was found in a field in Dunleer by a man out walking his dog on May 26.
A postmortem found he had been strangled and a murder investigation was launched.
A first-year business student at Dundalk Institute of Technology, Cameron had been out socialising the night before he was killed.
More than a thousand mourners attended his funeral which was described as the biggest crowd ever witnessed at St Brigid’s Church in Dunleer.
Parish Priest Fr Michael Murtagh told how the entire community around the area has been left stunned and shocked by the violent death.
More than 100 people have been interviewed by gardai during the course of the investigation so far.