A part-time painter and decorator has been remanded in custody after being charged with the murder of a woman whose body was found buried in woodland in West Cork earlier this year.
Oliver Hayes (49) from Clancool Terrace, Bandon, was brought before a special sitting of Bandon District Court yesterday afternoon where he was charged with the murder of Anne Corcoran on a date between January 19th and January 23rd last in Co Cork.
Mrs Corcoran, from Maulnaskimlehane in Kilbrittain, was last seen alive on the evening of January 18th and her disappearance triggered a major search operation involving hundreds of gardaí and civilians before her body was found near Garrettstown on February 6th.
Det Garda Jim Fitzgerald gave evidence of arresting and charging Mr Hayes with the offence and told the court that the accused’s reply to the charge after caution was “I’m sorry for what happened, I never meant for her to die”.
State Solicitor for West Cork, Malachy Boohig told the court that some 200 pages of a book of evidence were ready to be served on Mr Hayes and he expected that the state would be in a position to serve the entire book of evidence shortly.
He applied to have Mr Hayes remanded in custody to appear again at Kinsale District Court on May 7th when he expected to have the book of evidence completed.
Judge James McNulty granted the application and remanded Mr Hayes in custody to appear again at Kinsale District Court on May 7th.
Mr Boohig said that he was also seeking a remand in custody for Mr Hayes in respect of an existing charge of falsely imprisoning Mrs Corcoran at her home.
Mr Boohig said that that charge would also form part of the book of evidence that will be served on Mr Hayes and Judge McNulty also remanded Mr Hayes in custody on the false imprisonment charge to appear again at Kinsale District Court on May 7th.