Ballyfinn: Man charged with murder of father in five

A man has been charged with murder after a man died at a five-star Irish hotel.

Henry McGowan, 30, from Clinton street, Brooklyn in New York appeared in Portlaoise District Court on Thursday.

He was charged after 60-year-old John McGowan, his father, was found with serious injuries in the leisure centre of Ballyfin Demesne Inn, in County Laois, shortly before 20:00 local time on Tuesday.

The victim had travelled to Ireland from the United States on Tuesday, before checking into the hotel.

Judge Andrew Cody remanded the accused in custody and adjourned the case to 18 November.

Henry McGowan's defending solicitor Barry Fitzgerald said it has been accepted that his client has significant mental health issues and asked Judge Cody to request the prison service to provide immediate medical assistance to Mr McGowan, to which the Judge agreed.