‘Nobody was meant to die that night...’

What man charged with fatal stabbing told gardaí

At Ennis District Court yesterday, Robbie Walsh was charged with assault causing serious harm to Karl Haugh, 25, in Kilkee, Co. Clare, in the early hours of Sunday.

He was refused bail after gardaí said his release ‘will lead to an escalation in tension and a potential for further incidents’.

Giving evidence of Mr Walsh’s arrest, charge and caution at Kilrush Garda Station on Monday, Garda David King said that when charged, Mr Walsh replied: ‘Nobody was meant to die that night.’

Edel Ryan, solicitor for the accused, applied for bail – but Judge Marie Keane refused and remanded Mr Walsh in custody.

Outlining the Garda concerns, Detective Sergeant Pádraig Frawley said that it will be alleged that Mr Walsh was one of three people to enter the Marian Estate Fatally wounded: Karl Haugh in Kilkee after 1am on Sunday and proceeded to call to houses in the estate looking for Karl Haugh.

Det Sgt Frawley said it will be further alleged that while in the estate, the accused and the two males came across Mr Haugh and another male and that a fight ensued where weapons were used. He said: ‘Other individuals also arrived who became involved in the fight.

‘During the course of the altercation, Karl Haugh received a stab wound to his back. Garda arrived at the scene where knives and golf clubs were recovered.’

Mr Haugh was brought by ambulance to Limerick University Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 6am. A postmortem was carried out by Dr Michael Curtis and the initial report indicated that Mr Haugh’s death was a result of a stab wound to the left of the spine which punctured his left lung.

Det Sgt Frawley said that there had been tension in the area in the immediate aftermath of the incident and that Mr Walsh’s release will ‘lead to an escalation’. He told the judge: ‘This was evident on the morning of the incident where there was an incident at the residence of the accused in Kilrush.’

‘Gardaí believe that this incident is indirectly related to the incident at Marian Estate.’

Det Sgt Frawley said gardaí recovered a knife handle and a blade at the scene of Mr Haugh’s death and that the blade had blood on it. He said Mr Walsh is a drug addict and is a user of cocaine, Xanax and cannabis.

Edel Ryan, solicitor for Mr Walsh, said: ‘My client has been co-operative with gardaí and will continue to be co-operative and is agreeable to any bail conditions that the court might impose.’ However, Inspector Tom Kennedy said: ‘Gardaí have grave concerns if Mr Walsh is granted bail.’

Judge Keane refused bail, saying: ‘I am satisfied that this matter doesn’t merit bail. The circumstances of this are quite serious. There is a fatality as a result of the incident.’

She added: ‘The State has given evidence of tension in the area of Kilkee and this is quite understandable given that all the parties are known to each other.’

Judge Keane remanded Mr Walsh, of Island View, Kilrush, Co. Clare, in custody to appear before Ennis District Court again on August 15. Mr Haugh’s remains reposed at St Senan’s Church in Kilkee yesterday and his funeral Mass is to take place in the town this afternoon.

‘Evidence of tension in area’