A 29-year-old man has been remanded in custody after he was charged with the murder of a Brazilian woman who died a violent death in a flat in Cork City centre on New Year’s Day.
Miller Pacheco was brought before a special sitting of Cork District Court and charged with the murder of Bruna Fonseca (28) at Liberty Street, Cork on January 1st.
Det Garda Padraig Harrington of the Bridewell Garda station gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution in relation to Mr Pacheco, whose address was given as Liberty Street, Cork.
Det Garda Harrington told the court he charged Mr Pacheco with the assistance of a Portuguese interpreter and Mr Pacheco made no reply to the charge when it was put to him after caution.
Sgt Pat Lyons noted that Mr Pacheco could not apply for bail on a murder charge at the District Court level and he applied for a remand in custody to appear again at Cork District Court on January 9th.
Defence solicitor Aoife Buttimer said that she was consenting to the remand in custody and she asked that Mr Pacheco receive all appropriate medical attention while on remand in Cork Prison.
Judge John King remanded Mr Pacheco in custody to appear again at Cork District Court while he also directed that he receive any appropriate medical attention.
Ms Buttimer also applied for legal aid, saying that her client was on a low income and, now that he was in custody, he had no means to earn an income.
Judge King granted him free legal aid.
Mr Pacheco, who was dressed in a black sweatshirt and tracksuit pants, spoke with the assistance of a Portuguese interpreter only to confirm his identity to the court during the brief hearing.
A native of Formiga in Minas Gerais province, Ms Fonseca was a qualified librarian, who had come to Cork in September and had been working as a contract cleaner at the Mercy University Hospital.
