O'Gorman murder accused unable to attend court
An Italian man accused of the murder of well known pro-life campaigner and religious writer Tom O'Gorman, was unable to face another court hearing today.
Judge Victor Blake was told at Cloverhill District Court that 34-year-old Saverio Bellante is in the Central Mental Hospital.
The judge, who was also furnished with a letter in relation to that, was also told by a state solicitor that the case was a complicated matter and the investigation was ongoing.
Vincent Maloney, for the state, asked for the accused to be remanded for a further four weeks because two weeks was not be sufficient to compile a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The defence has asked the court to consider granting legal aid and counsel for Mr Bellante said his client suffers from a serious mental condition and cannot give a statement of means at this point.
Two affidavits are to be provided to the court from the accused's brother and sister, the judge was also told.
The case was adjourned until February 27 next.
The body of Mr O'Gorman, aged 39, from Beech Park Avenue, in the north Dublin suburb of Castleknock, was found after gardai were called to his large detached home at about 1.50am on Sunday, January 12 last.
He was pronounced dead at the scene and a post mortem was later carried out by Professor Marie Cassidy .
His lodger, Saverio Bellante, a customer service agent, was later arrested; he had replied “I am guilty” after he was charged, Detective Garda Patrick Traynor had told an earlier district court hearing.
The 34-year-old, who is from Palermo in Sicily, is accused of murdering Mr O'Gorman, at Beech Park Avenue, Castleknock between January 11 and 12.
After being remanded in custody with an order that he was to be given medical treatment, he was also unable to attend his second scheduled court appearance on January 17 last.
The deceased man, Tom O'Gorman, was a well known pro-life advocate and former journalist with the Catholic newspaper The Voice Today. Recently been a researcher for the Dublin based Catholic lobby group the Iona Institute.
