A 22-YEAR-old man has been remanded in custody after he was charged with the murder of mother-of-three Skaidrite Valdgeima at a Dublin city-centre apartment.

Skaidrite Valdgeima (34), originally from Latvia but who lived with her husband in the Deerpark Walk estate in Blessington, Co Wicklow, was stabbed to death in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

She received a number of injuries in an apartment in the Binary Hub, a student accommodation building, on Bonham Street, Dublin 8, at about 3.40am and was taken to St James’s Hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later.

Valerijs Leitons, aged 22, a Latvian national with an address at St Kevin’s Gardens, Dartry, Dublin 6, was arrested and detained in Kevin Street Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.

He was charged yesterday and held overnight. He was brought to appear before Judge John Cheatle at Dublin District Court today.

Evidence of arrest, charge and caution was given by Detective Inspector David Harrington.

He said Leitons was arrested on suspicion of the murder of Skaidrite Valdgeima and charged at 10.08pm yesterday. He had “no reply” when arrested or when charged, the court was told. An interpreter was present for the procedures in the garda station, the court heard.

The defendant was handed a true copy of the charge sheet, Detective Inspector Harrington said.

The defendant, dressed in a grey sweater, navy tracksuit bottoms and runners, sat silently on a bench at the side of the courtroom. The thumb of his right hand was bandaged.

He listened to the court proceedings with the assistance of a translator, however, he not address the court.

The district court cannot adjudicate on bail in murder cases meaning he will have to bring an application before the High Court if he wants to get released pending his trial.

He has not indicated how he will plead and was remanded in custody by Judge Cheatle to appear at Cloverhill District Court on 5 July next.

Judge Cheatle acceded to a request from defence counsel Eamonn O’Moore to ask for medical attention “including psychiatric assistance” for the Leitons while in custody.

Legal aid was granted after the court heard he was in receipt of disability allowance.

Skaidrite Valdgeima moved to Ireland in her mid-20s and completed third level courses.

She had worked in retail, graphic design and building websites and most recently with a Dublin-based translation company.