CORK DISTRICT COURT has heard that the State is awaiting directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions in connection with the case of a man charged with the murder of 28-year-old Brazilian national Bruna Fonseca.

Ms Fonseca was found deceased in a flat in Liberty Street in Cork city centre on New Year’s Day.

The following day, Miller Pacheco, 29, who is originally from Formiga in Brazil but was living at Room 3, 5 Liberty Street, appeared before a special sitting of Cork District Court where he was charged with murder.

The charge read that on 1 January 2023 at 5 Liberty Street he murdered one Bruna Fonseca contrary to common law. The charge was translated for him by a Portuguese interpreter.

The accused appeared before Cork District Court again today by video link with the assistance of a translator.

Sergeant Gearoid Davis told Judge Olann Kelleher that directions from the DPP are awaited in the case. He requested that the matter be adjourned until 30 January.

Defence solicitor Frank Buttimer said that he had spoken to his client who understood that the investigation in to the death of Ms Fonseca was at an early stage. He stated that his client was made aware that the garda file would not be sent to the DPP for some period of time.

Judge Kelleher remanded the man in continuing custody until his next court appearance on 30 January. He will appear by video link on that occasion and will again require the assistance of a translator.

The court previously directed that he receive all appropriate medical attention in Cork Prison. Free legal aid was also granted as the accused was on a low income.

Ms Fonseca was a native of Formiga in Minas Gerais, Brazil. She was a qualified librarian and graduated from the Centro Universitario de Formiga in 2018. She moved to Cork in September 2022 and was working as a contract cleaner in the Mercy University Hospital.

A postmortem was carried out at Cork University Hospital by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster.

Meanwhile, gardaí investigating the death of Bruna Fonseca have renewed their appeal for information.

They are appealing to anyone that was on Liberty Street either on foot or in a car between 4.30am and 6.30am on the morning of 1 January to contact them at the Bridewell Garda Station in Cork on 021 494 3330.