A 38-YEAR-OLD woman accused of the murder of a father-of-seven following a knife attack in a west Dublin suburb last month was deemed “medically unfit” to face court today.

Garreth Kelly (39) died following a stabbing in the Brownsbarn Estate, in Kingswood, Co Dublin, on the morning of 25 February.

Kelly, from Tallaght but who had been living in Clondalkin, had engine trouble and had been trying to jump-start his car to go to work on the day in question. He was believed to have been staying over with his partner in another house in the estate on a small cul-de-sac.

He was working on the engine at about 7am when he sustained stab wounds, collapsed and died on the street between two cars.

Mother-of-three Christina Anderson, with an address at Brownsbarn Wood, Kingswood, was arrested and held at Clondalkin Garda Station. She was remanded in custody after she appeared before Dublin District Court on 26 February charged with Kelly’s murder.

She was “too unwell” to face her next scheduled appearance, on 4 March, and the case was adjourned until today.

Book of evidence

Judge Paula Murphy noted that a book of evidence has to be prepared.

The accused, however, could not attend court. Her solicitor Michael Kelleher said there was a letter from the Central Mental Hospital and Judge Murphy noted Anderson was “medically unfit”.

She remanded the accused in continuing custody in her absence to appear on 1 April.

At an earlier stage the court had acceded to Kelleher’s request for medical and psychiatric assessments of Anderson. The court has also asked for a separate psychiatric report to be prepared for court.

At her first hearing on 26 February, Anderson sat at the side of the court with her head bowed and was mumbling. Her husband had attended that hearing and sat in the public gallery.

Detective Sergeant Dara Kenny had told the court Anderson “made no reply” to the charge.

Kelly’s partner Maria, his children and his family bade farewell to him at his funeral service on 6 March in the Temple Newlands Cross Crematorium.

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