A MAN and a woman have been remanded in custody after they were charged with the murder of a second man, having already been charged with the murder of another man at the same location in west Cork last year.
Ciprian Grozavu (37), Bandon, and Catherine O’Connor (35), Kinsale, were yesterday charged with the murder of John Forrester (42) at Bandon Bridge House, Bandon, on November 12th.
The body of Mr Forrester, a father of four, originally from Blackpool, Lancashire, was found in the river Bandon on November 15th following an extensive search of the river by gardaí after he was reported missing.
Mr Grozavu, from Romania, and Ms O’Connor had previously been charged with the murder of Jonathan Duke (27), a father of one from Bandon, at Bandon Bridge on November 13th.
The two were before Bandon District Court yesterday on that charge also.
Det Garda Jason Wallace gave evidence yesterday of arrest, charge and caution after he charged Ms O’Connor with the murder of Mr Forrester. He told the court that she made no reply after the charge was put to her.
Det Garda Tim O’Mahony gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution after he charged Mr Grozavu with the murder of Mr Forrester, and he told the court that Mr Grozavu similarly made no reply after the charge was put to him.
Insp Brendan Fogarty told the court that the books of evidence in both murder investigations were well advanced and he expected that both would be served as one book of evidence on the two accused in the near future.
He applied to have Mr Grozavu and Ms O’Connor remanded in custody to appear at Limerick District Court on March 9th on the Forrester murder charge and to have them remanded to the same court on the Duke murder charge so that both charges could run in tandem.
Garda Insp Fogarty said he expected that both would be remanded back to a court in west Cork when they appeared at Limerick District Court next Friday.
The State, he added, would be ready to serve the book of evidence on them both on that remand date.
Solicitor for Ms O’Connor, Eddie Burke, said his client was consenting to such an application and he applied for free legal aid.
Mr Grozavu’s solicitor, Macaire Adams, said her client was also consenting and she also applied for free legal aid.
Judge James McNulty granted Mr Grozavu and Ms O’Connor free legal aid and remanded both in custody on the Forrester murder charge, while he remanded Mr Grozavu in continuing custody on the Duke murder charge and Ms O’Connor in custody with consent to bail on the Duke charge.