Two men remanded in custody charged with murder of Mahamud Ilyas

Two men have been remanded in custody charged with murdering a 22-year-old man in Dublin a day before his body was found dumped in Co Meath last month.

A dog-walker discovered the body of Mahamud Ilyas wrapped in carpet in a field on December 10th in Kilbride, near the Meath-Dublin border.

Mr Ilyas, who was originally from Somalia, lived in the west Dublin area with his family.

Gardaí arrested two men on Wednesday and detained them at Blanchardstown Garda station under section four of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.

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Viorel Doroscan (21), of Bay Meadows, Hollystown, Dublin 15, and co-accused Otniel Richardo Clejan, also 21, and from Verdemont, in Blanchardstown, were charged on Thursday evening.

They were held overnight before being brought to appear before Judge David McHugh at Blanchardstown District Court on Friday morning.

Both men were charged with the murder of Mr Ilyas at an apartment in Verdemont, in Blanchardstown, on December 9th.

Relatives of the defendants and the deceased sat silently in the public gallery as evidence was given.

The defendants, originally from Romania, did not address the court and have not yet indicated a plea.

Sgt Michael Redmond told the court that Mr Doroscan had been asked if he had a response to the charge. Mr Doroscan told Sgt Catriona White, “No, miss,” and he was handed a copy of the charge sheet, the court heard.

Solicitor Brian Keenan applied for legal aid, telling the court that Mr Doroscan “is not working and not in receipt of social welfare”.

Sgt Emma Brady told Judge McHugh that Mr Clejan “made no reply” to the charge. His solicitor Richard Young asked for a court interpreter to be available at the next hearing, but the co-defendant Mr Doroscan did not require one.

The District Court does not have the jurisdiction to hear a bail application in a murder case, which requires an application to the High Court.

Judge McHugh remanded the pair in custody to appear via video link at Cloverhill District Court on January 13th.

Judge McHugh granted the defendants’ request for legal aid after being furnished with statements of their means and noting there was no Garda objection.

They were the third and fourth people to be arrested as part of the investigation into the death of Mr Ilyas. Two other men were released pending a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions last month.