logo
Man appears in court charged with murder of 71-year-old Michael Hayes

Man appears in court charged with murder of 71-year-old Michael Hayes

A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of Michael Hayes following an assault in Limerick city.
Philip Ambrose, 43, of no fixed abode, appeared before a special sitting of Limerick District Court on Saturday night.
Garda Aoife Quinn told the court she arrested Mr Ambrose at Henry Street Garda Station at 6.35pm on Saturday, for the purpose of charging him.
She said Mr Ambrose made no reply when charged with the murder of 71-year-old Michael Hayes.
Gardaí and emergency services found Mr Hayes in a critical condition at St Michael's Court in the Watergate area of Limerick city at around 11.30pm on Thursday.
He sustained serious head injuries and was taken to University Hospital Limerick, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
Mr Ambrose's solicitor, Turlough Herbert, told the court that he was not applying for bail.
The solicitor explained in court that the question of bail did not arise as bail applications in respect of a murder charge can only be made before the High Court.
Judge Alec Gabbett granted Mr Ambrose's application for free legal aid after Mr Herbert told the court the accused is in receipt of disability allowance.
Mr Ambrose was remanded in custody to appear in court again via video link next Tuesday, July 15.
The court also ordered that he undergo medical care and psychiatric evaluation in prison.
The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Gardaí investigate alleged slashing of asylum seekers' tents in Herbert Park
Gardaí investigate alleged slashing of asylum seekers' tents in Herbert Park

Irish Times

time3 hours ago

  • Irish Times

Gardaí investigate alleged slashing of asylum seekers' tents in Herbert Park

Gardaí are investigating an incident in which the tents of homeless asylum seekers were allegedly slashed in a south Dublin park. The alleged incident occurred on Sunday morning in Herbert Park in Dublin 4 where three Somali men had been sleeping at the far edge of the park, near the Dodder river. They said a man had been harassing them on Saturday evening and came back at about 7.30am on Sunday as they were sleeping. 'He shouted and attack[ed] the tent. He cut the tents and kept saying he will burn it and come back with friends and dogs and attack us,' one of the men told The Irish Times. READ MORE One of the asylum seekers (or applicants for international protection) filmed the man as he approached, before he allegedly cut the tents. Wearing a blue T-shirt and black knee-length shorts, he is seen throwing his bicycle to the ground and shouting in the one-minute-12-second video. 'You are not allowed here. This is a park for children. Out. Out now. Tonight when you sleep, dogs are coming. You come here tonight and fire. I'll f**king burn yous. Get out here. I don't care,' he can be heard saying. 'Get the f**k out now. I'll be back in 15 minutes and I am going to f**king burn them. I am going to ring fellas now and they are coming with dogs, dogs. You have 15 minutes to get the f**k out of here.' He asks if he is being filmed. The camera is no longer focused on him as he continues to shout. Sounds can be heard of him allegedly throwing and cutting the tents. Tents in Herbert Park believed to have been used by migrants. Photograph: Barry Cronin The men also show a video of the same man, filmed as they sat on a nearby bench on Saturday evening, snapping the tents' rods. He shouts over to them: 'You won't be in here.' Asked how they were, the youngest, who is 24, said: 'It is terrifying.' As the men spoke at about 10am on Sunday, the man they said had earlier slashed the tents returned on a bicycle identical to that in the video, and began speaking to a volunteer who was packing up the men's sleeping bags. 'There are children here, women here. You are not thinking about that when you are leaving them here. You brought them into the country. You look after them,' he said to the volunteer. Asked by The Irish Times what his concern was with the men camping in the park, he said: 'They were going to the toilet here this morning. There were women passing. It's terrible. I know there's no toilets for them but there's a centre up the road. Put them in the centre.' It is not clear what centre he was referring to. The volunteer, who asked not be named because it was 'too dangerous' for volunteers to be identified, called gardaí. Two arrived in a squad car and took the men's names and copies of videos they had taken. The gardaí said they would contact the International Protection Accommodation Service and ask that the men be accommodated urgently. The incident comes as those working with unaccommodated asylum seekers have warned of a 'tangible increase in risk', with tents at small encampments targeted. [ Afghan refugee attacked in Limerick after being wrongly accused by far-right group of approaches to children Opens in new window ] Nick Henderson, chief executive of the Irish Refugee Council, said protection applicants' tents had been similarly damaged on Friday morning. 'We are deeply concerned about the situation of people seeking protection who are sleeping rough,' he said. 'In recent weeks, there has been a tangible increase in risk. Tents have been slashed, as happened today, camping spaces fenced off and social-media posts have circulated showing tents being filmed, accompanied by inflammatory commentary and threatening symbols such as flames. 'People in this situation have been followed by people who have posted footage online with ... far-right and racist statements.' He said male asylum seekers were not being provided with accommodation on arrival but were accommodated after a few days, sometimes just 24 hours after arrival, if they slept rough. 'In effect, the system requires people to sleep rough in order to demonstrate eligibility for accommodation, exposing them to serious harm. This policy has been found to be unlawful by the High Court in two different cases,' said Mr Henderson. This was placing 'enormous pressure on volunteers' he said, many of whom had been supporting people 'almost continuously' for over two years. 'We again call on the Government ... to fulfil its legal obligations and accommodate people seeking protection.' The volunteer on Sunday said: 'No one wants to wake up in the morning and bring their family to the park and see people camping there. Nobody wants that. And we don't need to have that, but this seems to be deliberate policy of making people sleep rough. 'I think it's a policy of dissuasion so word goes back [to others thinking of seeking asylum in Ireland] that 'you are not really welcome here'. The risk is so high placing them on the streets.' [ Violent clashes break out between far-right groups and migrants in Spanish town Opens in new window ] Gardaí and the Department of Justice have been contacted for comment. The Somali men said they had been in Ireland between five and 10 days. Two were aged 30 and one 24. The youngest said they had arrived in Ireland through Dublin Airport. 'At the airport they took our fingerprints, took photos and gave us this blue card [International Protection Office temporary residence certificate]. They told us to go and sort ourselves.' Asked if they were offered accommodation or told when they could get shelter, he said: 'No. They just gave us some locations where we can find food and charging our phones. 'We sleep here and elsewhere in tents. Before yesterday we didn't have problem[s] with other people.'

Man appears in court charged with murder of 71-year-old Michael Hayes
Man appears in court charged with murder of 71-year-old Michael Hayes

Irish Daily Mirror

time7 hours ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

Man appears in court charged with murder of 71-year-old Michael Hayes

A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of Michael Hayes following an assault in Limerick city. Philip Ambrose, 43, of no fixed abode, appeared before a special sitting of Limerick District Court on Saturday night. Garda Aoife Quinn told the court she arrested Mr Ambrose at Henry Street Garda Station at 6.35pm on Saturday, for the purpose of charging him. She said Mr Ambrose made no reply when charged with the murder of 71-year-old Michael Hayes. Gardaí and emergency services found Mr Hayes in a critical condition at St Michael's Court in the Watergate area of Limerick city at around 11.30pm on Thursday. He sustained serious head injuries and was taken to University Hospital Limerick, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. Mr Ambrose's solicitor, Turlough Herbert, told the court that he was not applying for bail. The solicitor explained in court that the question of bail did not arise as bail applications in respect of a murder charge can only be made before the High Court. Judge Alec Gabbett granted Mr Ambrose's application for free legal aid after Mr Herbert told the court the accused is in receipt of disability allowance. Mr Ambrose was remanded in custody to appear in court again via video link next Tuesday, July 15. The court also ordered that he undergo medical care and psychiatric evaluation in prison. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week

Man charged with murder of pensioner Michael Hayes in Limerick
Man charged with murder of pensioner Michael Hayes in Limerick

Sunday World

time8 hours ago

  • Sunday World

Man charged with murder of pensioner Michael Hayes in Limerick

Philip Ambrose (43) did not reply when charged with murdering Michael Hayes (71) gardaí told Limerick District Court. A man appeared before a special court sitting on Saturday night charged with the murder of a pensioner in Limerick last Thursday. Philip Ambrose (43) did not reply when charged with murdering Michael Hayes (71) gardaí told Limerick District Court. Mr Ambrose, of no fixed address, and who appeared in court dressed in a dark top and pants and a grey T-shirt, did not speak during the brief hearing before Judge Alec Gabbett. Garda Aoife Quinn told the court she arrested, charged and cautioned Mr Ambrose in respect of murdering Mr Hayes. Mr Ambrose was arrested by gardaí on Friday morning, a few hours after Mr Hayes was allegedly attacked near his home in Limerick City Centre, around 11.30pm last Thursday. Mr Hayes was found with critical injuries at St Michael's Court, Watergate, and despite the best efforts of paramedics and doctors he was pronounced dead at University Hospital Limerick last Friday. Garda Quinn said she arrested Mr Ambrose at Henry Street garda station at 6.35pm on Saturday for the purpose of charging him with the murder of Mr Hayes, contrary to Common Law. The murder is alleged to have occurred at St Michael's Court, Watergate, Limerick city, a block of apartments where Mr Hayes had been living. Garda Quinn gave evidence that Mr Ambrose 'made no reply to the charge after caution'. Mr Ambrose's solicitor, Turlough Herbert, Herbert & Co Solicitors, Limerick, told the court that he was not applying for bail. The solicitor said the question of bail did not arise as bail applications in respect of a murder charge can only be made before the High Court. Mr Herbert made an application before the court for legal aid on behalf of the accused and said Mr Ambrose was in receipt of disability allowance. Judge Gabbett acceded the application and granted Mr Ambrose free legal aid. The judge ordered that a psychiatric evaluation be conducted in respect of Mr Ambrose. Judge Gabbett remanded Mr Ambrose in custody to Limerick Prison, to appear via video-link before Limerick District Court again on Tuesday July 15. Michael Hayes News in 90 Seconds - Sunday July 13

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store