A 20-year-old County Kilkenny man has been charged with murder of a 31-year-old labourer in Kilkenny City earlier today. At a special sitting of the District Court this evening, James O'Keeffe from Kilree, Kells, County Kilkenny, was charged with murdering Simon Hoyne from Tullaroan. He was remanded in custody until Tuesday when he is due back in court. The court was told that Mr O'Keeffe made no reply when charged. Simon Hoyne was found dead in the John's Green part of the city early this morning.
The Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, has carried out a post mortem examination on the body of the deceased man. Gardaí say that Mr Hoyne died after an assault which happened at St John's Green, close to the City Centre, at about 3am. Gardaí, who came upon the scene in a patrol car, arrested a second man a short distance away. The area, a few hundred yards from Kilkenny railway station, remained cordoned off by Gardaí for most of the day as members of the Garda technical team carried out an examination of the area.
