Lithuanian man is charged with the murder of ‘gentle giant’ Dimitry (24)
A YOUNG man has been charged with the murder of a seven-foot, six-inch tall man known in his Kerry home as ‘the gentle giant’.
Arnoldas Ivanauskas (32) appeared before Killarney District Court charged with the murder of Russian-born Dimitry Hrynkevich (24) in Tralee on September 30, 2015.
Mr Ivanauskas, who is a native of Lithuania, appeared before Judge David Waters.
The court was told that the Lithuanian was arrested by gardaí at an address outside Tralee.
When cautioned and formally charged with the murder of Mr Hrynkevich, Mr Ivanauskas made no reply to gardaí.
Det Sergeant Ernest Henderson said that the State application was for a remand in custody.
The court was told that, as a murder charge is involved, bail in the matter must be dealt with by the High Court.
Judge Waters remanded Mr Ivanauskas in custody overnight to appear again before Tralee District Court today.
Judge Waters also granted free legal aid for Mr Ivanauskas of Parklands, Tralee, Co Kerry, with Pat Mann acting as defence solicitor.
Mr Mann told the court that the issue of bail would be taken up by his client before the High Court in due course.
Mr Ivanauskas, who arrived at court covering his face, made no comment during the brief hearing.
The death of Mr Hrynkevich made national headlines three years ago, given the fact he was the third tallest person living in Ireland at the time, standing at seven-foot six inches in height.
He was found with serious head injuries on the front lawn of a property in the Killeen Wood estate in Tralee at 10.30pm on September 30, 2015.
Mr Hrynkevich was rushed to University Hospital Kerry (UHK) where he was placed on a life support machine.
Tragically, he never regained consciousness.
He died two days later with his family by his hospital bedside.
The young man had been due to celebrate his 25th birthday in just a few weeks time.
Mr Hrynkevich had moved to Ireland with his family from his native Russia when he was just 10 years old.
Towering
He grew up in Kerry, living at addresses in Aghadoe and at Bishops’ Court.
He was diagnosed with the condition of gigantism, which is triggered by an over-production of human growth hormones.
In Mr Hrynkevich’s case, by the time he was in his early teens he was already over six feet tall and towering over his classmates.
By the time he was 21, he had grown to a height which is equivalent to 2.32 metres.
But the condition can carry medical problems with joint and spine issues due to excessive strain.
Mr Hrynkevich was wellknown in both Tralee and Killarney due to its remarkable height. He lived briefly in Cork.