Student charged with murder of friend Leo Carolan

Charles Cleary, of no fixed abode, accused of killing the 25-year-old DJ on South Circular Road

A file image showing a garda outside the house on  South Circular Road where  25-year-old DJ Leo Carolan died. Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times
A file image showing a garda outside the house on South Circular Road where 25-year-old DJ Leo Carolan died. Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times

A 23-year-old student is to stand trial accused of the murder of his friend Leo Carolan who died following a stabbing at his flat in Dublin.

Gardaí launched a murder investigation after the budding 25-year-old DJ from Dun Laoghaire was stabbed to death at his home on the South Circular Road last Tuesday.

Mr Carolan was a second-year student at the Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) where he had been studying creative music technology.

He was living in his apartment at South Circular Road for some time after returning from France. He had studied Anthropology at Universite Lumiere in Lyon before continuing his education at IADT.

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A second man, Swiss national Ludovic Thomas, was found injured on the road outside and was rushed to hospital with serious knife wounds.

Student Charles Cleary (23) who is currently of no fixed abode but understood to be from the Rathfarnham area in south Dublin, had been arrested on Saturday and held at Kevin Street Garda Station.

He was detained there under Section Four of the Criminal Justice Act. He was charged with murdering Mr Carolan and with assault causing harm to Mr Thomas before he was brought to appear before Judge John Brennan at Dublin District Court on Monday afternoon.

Dressed in a black hooded Adidas sweater, black tracksuit bottoms and white runners, he sat silently with his hands in his pockets as the evidence of his arrest charge and caution was given.

Det Sergeant Adrian Whitelaw of Kevin Street Garda station, told the judge the accused was charged with both offences at 11.14am on Monday.

“I cautioned him and in reply he had nothing to say,” said Det Sergeant Whitelaw before he applied to have the accused remanded in custody.

The judge noted there was a murder charge and agreed to order the remand in custody.

He also acceded to a request from defence solicitor Tracy Horan to ask the prison authorities to seek a psychiatric assessment of the defendant who did not address the court.

He also allowed her application for a second, independent psychiatric assessment of him to be carried out.

The judge remanded Mr Cleary in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Friday.

He noted from a statement of means furnished to the court by Ms Horan that the 23-year-old was a student, and he granted free legal aid.

Due to the murder charge, the District Court cannot grant bail meaning he will have to make an application to the High Court to get released pending trial.

He has not yet entered a plea to the charges and a book of evidence has yet to be prepared.