Galway Bay fm newsroom - A 67-year-old Mervue man was arrested and charged this morning with the murder of a 38-year-old man in Galway city last year.
Gardaí arrested Noel Lenihan at 7.45 this morning and brought him to Galway Garda Station.
He was then charged with the murder of Christopher McGrath, at Lenihan’s home at 6, Cardinal Cushing Road, Mervue on March 12 last year.
Noel Lenihan was brought in custody before Galway District Court at 10.30 this morning.
Garda Neil Lydon gave evidence Lenihan had replied: “I didn’t want to be strangled to death”, when the murder charge was put to him in the Garda station earlier.
Reading an application for Free Legal Aid Judge Mary Fahy said the charge before the court was very serious.
She noted Lenihan was a pensioner and his income reached the threshold for granting the application.
The judge also noted that as the charge was one of murder, there could be no application for bail in the District Court.
She remanded the accused in custody to appear before her court again next Monday, via video link from Castlerea Prison.
Mr McGrath, who was a member of Galway City Harriers, was found with a fatal knife wound to the neck at Mr Lenihan’s home at 4a.m. on March 12 last year.
