American charged in Portlaoise Court with killing in luxury Laois hotel

A US national has appeared before Portlaoise District Court charged arising from the killing in the Ballyfin Demense hotel.

Henry McGowan, aged 30, of 114 Clinton St, Brooklyn, New York, was brought before Judge Andrew Cody on Thursday, November 14.

Det Garda Ger Galwey of Portlaoise Garda Station gave evidence of the arrest charge and caution in relation to the man who wore a black hoodie and facemask upon entering court. 

Defence solicitor Barry Fitzgerald told the court that given the nature of the charge, the District Court has no jurisdiction to deal with a bail application.

Judge Cody remanded the accused to Cloverhill Prison to appear again in court by video link on Monday, November 18 at 10.30am.

Mr Fitzgerald said his client had significant mental health difficulties and asked that his client receive help for those on his arrival in Cloverhill. Deg Garda agreed. 

At the end of the brief hearing, the judge agreed to a request from Mr Fitzgerald and directed that Mr McGowan receive immediate psychiatric assessment on his admission to Cloverhill.

The man appeared after the death of a man in his 60s at a luxury hotel in Laois on Tuesday, November 12. The deceased is understood to be a parent of the accused. 

The accused was in custody since his arrest on Tuesday evening after Gardaí were alerted to an incident at a hotel after his late father John McGowan, aged 66, was found deceased.

He was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in the Eastern Region.