Man due in court charged over fatal assault in Co Waterford

Gardaí called to scene of assault at house in Portlaw in early hours of Saturday

The scene of the fatal assault at Brown Street, Portlaw, Co Waterford. Photograph: Patrick Browne
The scene of the fatal assault at Brown Street, Portlaw, Co Waterford. Photograph: Patrick Browne

A man is due to appear in court on Sunday charged in connection with the fatal assault of a man in Portlaw, Co Waterford in the early hours of Saturday.

The man, aged 21, is due to appear at Carrick-on-Suir District Court on Sunday at noon.

Gardaí are expected to wait until they receive the results of a post-mortem on Sunday before formally deciding on the status of their investigation into the death of the man (48).

Gardaí requested the services of the State Pathologist’s Office after the man was seriously injured during an assault in a house on Brown Street in Portlaw sometime after 2am on Saturday.

READ SOME MORE

The man, who has been named locally as John Butler, was treated at the scene before being rushed by ambulance to University Hospital Waterford in Ardkeen, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

Gardaí had been alerted, and arrested a 21-year-old man a short distance from the house.

It is understood Mr Butler’s remains will be brought to Dublin for a post mortem.

Local Fianna Fáil TD Mary Butler said the death had shocked the town as Mr Butler (no relation) was well-known.

“He was a lovely quiet man – you would always see him every day walking his two dogs – he used to work a couple of days a week in the Dr Martin Day Care Centre for the elderly, so he was well known and very well liked by everyone.

“I spoke to one of his neighbours earlier today and they told me he was a great neighbour – a lovely quiet man– it’s just an awful, tragic, tragic event and our thoughts are with his immediate family at this time.”

Barry Roche

Barry Roche

Barry Roche is Southern Correspondent of The Irish Times