A 20-year-old engineering student charged with the manslaughter of schoolboy Robert Holohan, was yesterday remanded in continuing custody for a further two weeks when he appeared at Midleton District Court, Co Cork.
Mr Wayne O'Donoghue, a student at Cork Institute of Technology, from Ballyedmond Hill, Midleton, is charged with the unlawful killing of his near-neighbour, Robert Holohan (11), at Ballyedmond Hill, Midleton, on January 4th, 2005.
Yesterday Insp Martin Dorney asked Judge Michael Pattwell to remand Mr O'Donoghue in custody for a month until February 17th to allow gardaí prepare and serve a book of evidence on him.
Mr O'Donoghue's solicitor, Mr Frank Buttimer, said he had apprised his client of his right to bail, but his client had instructed him not to apply for bail at this stage, although he would reserve his right to it.
He was consenting to a two-week remand in custody until February 3rd.
He said that, in the event of any other application before that date, he would notify the Garda, and Judge Pattwell remanded Mr O'Donoghue in continuing custody to appear at Midleton District Court again on February 3rd.
Dressed in a black blazer, navy tie and white shirt, Mr O'Donoghue showed no emotion during the four-minute hearing, which began at 10.30 a. m . when his case was the first to be called at yesterday's scheduled sitting.
The accused man, who was brought into the crowded courtroom just minutes before the sitting began, remained standing after his name was called until Judge Pattwell asked where he was and, seeing that he was standing, told him that he could sit down.
He was cordoned off in a section near to, but separate from, where all the other prisoners were held in the courtroom. He remained flanked by a small team of prison officers, uniformed gardaí and detectives, including Det Sgt Brian Goulding, who arrested him on Monday night.
Mr O'Donoghue's parents, Raymond and Therese, were in court for yesterday's brief hearing, arriving shortly before the sitting began. They were joined by their two younger sons to briefly visit their eldest son in Midleton Garda station after the case.
Robert Holohan's uncle, Mr David Holohan, along with a family friend, Ms Frances Moore, who read a poem, A Child Loaned, at Robert's funeral Mass on Saturday, also attended yesterday's hearing, as did a small number of other friends of the Holohan family.