A man has been remanded in custody tonight charged in connection with the death of mother-of-one, Marguerita “Maggie” Sheridan, who died following a traffic incident at Rathkeale, Co Limerick, last Saturday.
The accused, Danny O’Donoghue (42), of Lower Main Street, Rathkeale, appeared before a special sitting of Limerick District Court, charged with five separate offences.
Mr O’Donoghue is charged with one count of dangerous driving causing the death of Ms Sheridan, aged 21, at Bank Place, Well Lane, Rathkeale, on December 21st last.
The accused was also charged with one count of causing criminal damage to a set of steel gates at the same location on the same date.
Mr O’Donoghue was also charged with one count of making a threat to kill or cause serious harm to a Patrick Sheridan, at Ballywilliam, Rathkeale, on December 21st, and faces one count of producing a machete during the course of making the alleged threat to Mr Sheridan.
Mr O’Donoghue was also charged with one count of causing criminal damage to Patrick Sheridan’s van at Ballywilliam, Rathkeale, also on December 21st last.
Det Garda Elaine O’Keeffe, Newcastle West Garda station, gave evidence in court that she arrested Mr O’Donoghue at 6pm this evening for the purposes of charging him with the five offences.
Det Garda O’Keeffe said Mr O’Donoghue “made no reply” to all of the five charges.
Insp Liz Kennedy said gardaí were “objecting to bail”.
Mr O’Donoghue’s solicitor, Mike O’Donnell, said he was not making any application for bail.
Mr O’Donoghue, who was supported in court by family members, did not speak during the brief court hearing.
Judge Alec Gabbett remanded Mr O’Donoghue in custody to Limerick Prison to appear via video-link before Limerick District Court this Friday, December 27th.
Marguerita Sheridan, who gave birth to her first child, a baby boy, last month, was critically injured when a van allegedly struck a set of gates she was standing beside in the town last Saturday afternoon. She was later pronounced dead at University Hospital Limerick.
Gardaí said they had recovered a van they suspected was involved in the fatal incident.
Earlier today, several hundred people attended a vigil in Ms Sheridan’s memory in Rathkeale.
Lilac-coloured balloons and giant “21″ numbered balloons, reflecting Ms Sheridan’s youth, were released into the air at the sombre vigil.
A local priest led the Sheridan family, friends and neighbours in hushed prayers at the ruins of an abbey in the town.
Ms Sheridan’s father John Sheridan had posted a notice on Facebook inviting people to “gather in remembrance” of his daughter at the candle-lit gathering, the notice describing her as “a cherished soul taken too soon”.
Mr Sheridan also posted videos of his daughter preparing for her wedding day in December last year.
The heartbroken father posted a message online thanking the emergency services who went to assist his daughter last Saturday, as well as neighbours and friends who rallied around the family since the tragedy.
“I want to say thanks to the guards, the nurses, the doctors, the priests, the settled people in Rathkeale, the Travelling people, for their messages, the local shops, hotels, and for everyone who called to my house,” Mr Sheridan wrote.
“Rest in peace my beautiful daughter. Marguerita Sheridan you are true legend,” he added.
Posting photos of his daughter on horseback, Mr Sheridan added: “Rip my daughter Maggie, her life was horses.”
On Monday, gardaí had said a postmortem to help determine the nature of her injuries and the cause of death had been completed on Ms Sheridan’s body, but that “for operational reasons” they were not disclosing the results.
