THE KILRUSH MAN charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of 25-year-old Kilkee man Karl Haugh told gardaí when charged “nobody was meant to die” on the night in question.
At Ennis District Court today, Robbie Walsh, 21, of Island View, Kilrush was charged with assault causing serious harm to Haugh at the Marian Estate in Kilkee on Sunday – contrary to section four of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997.
Garda David King said that, when charged yesterday evening, Walsh replied: “Nobody was meant to die that night.”
Edel Ryan, Walsh’s solicitor, applied for bail but Judge Marie Keane refused this due to gardaí’s concerns and remanded Walsh in custody.
Outlining the concerns, Detective Sergeant Padraig Frawley said it will be alleged that Walsh was one of three people to enter the Marian Estate in Kilkee after 1am on Sunday and proceeded to call to houses in the estate looking for Haugh.
Frawley – who is leading the investigation into Haugh’s death – said it will be further alleged that, while in the estate, the accused and the two other males came across Haugh and another male and a fight ensued where weapons were used.
Frawley said: “Other individuals also arrived who became involved in the fight.
“During the course of the altercation, Karl Haugh received a stab wound to his back. Gardaí arrived at the scene where knives and golf clubs were recovered.”
He said that Haugh was brought by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick where he was pronounced dead at 6am.
Frawley said a post-mortem was carried out by Dr Michael Curtis and the initial report indicated that Haugh’s death was as a result of a stab wound to his back. The wound was located to the left of the spine and punctured his left lung.
Frawley said there has been tension in the area in the immediate aftermath of the incident.
“This was evident on the morning of the incident where there was an incident at the residence of the accused in Kilrush,” he said.
Gardaí believe that this incident is indirectly related to the incident at Marian Estate.
Frawley said Walsh was arrested by gardaí at 10am on Sunday. He said there is a fear that if Walsh is released on bail “it will lead to an escalation in tension and a potential for further incidents”.
Blade found
He said gardaí recovered a knife handle and a blade at the scene of Haugh’s death and the blade had blood on it.
Frawley said Walsh is a drug addict and is a user of cocaine, Xanax and cannabis.
Ryan said her client has been “cooperative with gardaí and will continue to be co-operative and is agreeable to any bail conditions that the court might impose”.
Inspector Tom Kennedy said: “This is a very serious matter and gardaí have grave concerns if Mr Walsh is granted bail.”
Judge Keane said she is “satisfied that this matter doesn’t merit bail”.
“The circumstances of this are quite serious. There is a fatality as a result of the incident,” she said.
“The State has given evidence of tension in the area of Kilkee and this is quite understandable given that all the parties are known to each other,” the judge added.
She remanded Walsh in custody until 14 August, when he is due to re-appear before Ennis District Court.
Haugh’s remains will be reposing at St Senan’s Church in Kilkee this evening and his funeral mass is due to take place in Kilkee tomorrow afternoon.
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