He was my dad and I loved him very much
Man, 31, charged with stabbing father, 63, to death
A MAN charged with murdering his father in a stabbing at their family home told gardaí: ‘I never meant to harm anyone. He was my dad and I love him very much, and would have done anything for him.’
David Fortune was charged yesterday with murdering Gerard Fortune, a 63-year-old hospital care worker, at his Dublin home on Sunday evening.
Shortly after 8pm on Sunday, gardaí were called to a house at Rutland Grove, Crumlin, and Mr Fortune Sr was taken by ambulance to hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
His son, David Fortune, 31, also known as David O’Leary, was remanded in custody after appearing before Judge Mary Dorgan at Dublin District Court yesterday.
He was charged with the murder of his father on August 19, 2018.
The court heard that David Fortune was charged at 1.55pm yesterday and given a copy of the charge sheet.
The court also heard that Mr Fortune replied: ‘I never meant to harm anyone. He was my dad and I love him very much, and would have done anything for him.’
The unemployed man was visibly upset as he sat silently on the defendants’ bench while the details of his arrest were read out to the court by the garda sergeant.
Garda Sergeant Brendan O’Halloran told Judge Dorgan that he had cautioned Mr Fortune Jr, also of Rutland Grove, Crumlin, at 12.52pm yesterday, telling him that anything he said would be taken down and used in evidence.
After being cautioned David Fortune made no reply, the court heard.
The accused was arrested on Sunday night and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Crumlin Garda station before he was charged and brought before the district court yesterday.
Sergeant O’Halloran said that he arrested him for the offence of the murder of Gerard Fortune, who worked at St James’s Hospital in Dublin, on August 19 at Rutland Grove, Crumlin.
The district court is not authorised to adjudicate on bail in murder cases.
The accused used the surnames Fortune and O’Leary, the judge was told.
Judge Dorgan agreed to remand him in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on August 28 next.
The accused, dressed in a red Adidas T-shirt, grey tracksuit bottoms and black runners, gestured to distraught relatives in the public gallery as he was led away from court.
Judge Dorgan acceded to defence solicitor Brian Coveney’s application to grant legal aid to the accused.
There was no garda objection, she noted.
Mr Coveney said his client was unemployed and he furnished the court with a statement of Mr Fortune’s means.
Defendant became visibly upset