Man charged with Limerick knife attack lashes out at gardaí in court

Seconds after he was charged with the murder, Dylan Hayes (aged 20) of The Crescent, Kilteragh, Dooradoyle, made a bolt from the holding area in the court.

However, Mr Hayes, failed to get through a locked door between him and the court body and several Gardaí swooped in to restrain him.

Hayes, who was charged with murdering Shane Murphy (aged 26) in Pallasgreen, Co Limerick, on April 30 last, kicked the door, lashed out at officers, and shouted out: "Ah, you dirty b**tard, ya."

Several Gardaí surrounded him and immediately returned him to a holding cell at the court.

When charged this morning with murder by Detective Sergeant Ted Riordan, Bruff garda station, Mr Hayes replied: "You are charging an innocent man".

Ger Hogan (aged 32) of Raheen Square, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick, also appeared in court charged with Mr Murphy's murder.

Mr Hogan "had nothing to say" when charged, Detective Garda Mike Reidy, Bruff station, told the court.

Both men were previously charged with assault causing serious harm to Mr Murphy and with producing a knife during the course of assaulting him. Both these charges were withdrawn by the State.

John Devane, representing Mr Hogan asked the State to "comply with a Book of Evidence within the appropriate date".

A previous court sitting heard Mr Murphy was the victim of a "sustained and frenzied attack".

Gardaí previously told the court the two accused men stabbed Mr Murphy before inflicting a second stabbing attack as the victim lay "incapacitated" on a couch.

Gardaí said Mr Hogan and Mr Hayes were found in an upstairs bedroom of the house following Mr Murphy's death, and that Mr Hayes was found by Gardaí smoking heroin.

Detective Garda Michael Reidy, Bruff Garda Staton, previously told the court: "The post mortem findings, carried out by the State Pathologist Marie Cassidy, were that there were 23 stab wounds on the body of the victim, and that a number of them could have proved fatal."

Gardaí also previously told the court they anticipated "further serious charges would be preferred" against the two accused men.

Solicitor John Devane told the court on that occasion, that Mr Hogan was discovered in Mr Murphy's girlfriend's house having lost a lot of blood after sustaining a hand injury, caused when he "pulled a knife away from another person to protect somebody else".

The court heard the injury needed to be examined by a consultant plastic surgeon in Cork.

Gardaí previously objected to bail under the O'Callaghan Rule under Section 2 of the Bail Act, on the grounds of the seriousness of the charges, and the strength of the alleged evidence.

Gardaí also alleged both men would intimidate or interfere with witnesses and commit further serous charges if granted bail.

Judge Marian O'Leary remanded both accused men in custody to appear before Limerick District Court again tomorrow