Man accused of Blaine brothers’ murder further remanded in custody

 
CHARGED Alan Cawley, Ballina, pictured arriving at Swinford District Court, where he was charged with murder of Jack and Tom Blaine. Pic: Keith Heneghan/Phocus

Man accused of Blaine brothers’ murder further remanded in custody

Edwin McGreal
Castlerea

The man charged with the double murder of brothers Jack and Tommy Blaine in Castlebar last week has been further remanded in custody following a short hearing today.
Alan Cawley (26) with an address of Four Winds, Corrimbla South, Ballina, appeared before Harristown District Court this morning (Friday) after being remanded in custody seven days previously at Swinford District Court.
Harristown District Court sits just outside the walls of Castlerea Prison, where Cawley has been detained for the last week.
Det Sgt Gary Walsh told Judge Geoffrey Browne that there was consent for Cawley to be remanded in custody for four weeks. Defending solicitor Niamh Bambury confirmed this. Had there not been consent, the maximum remand before another court appearance would have been two weeks.
Cawley, who appeared in court wearing a red prison-issue shirt, did not speak during the hearing, which lasted less than a minute. His parents were both in court, and he saluted to them before leaving.
Cawley is charged with the murder of Jack and Tommy Blaine at the men’s home on New Antrim Street in the early hours of Wednesday, July 10. He was arrested later that same day and formally charged at 1.08am on Friday, July 12. He appeared before Swinford District Court later that morning. Judge Mary Devins directed immediate psychiatric attention and ordered that Cawley be placed on self-harm and suicide watch.
Following this morning’s hearing, Cawley will appear at Harristown District Court next on August 16.
Brothers Jack (76) and Tommy (69) Blaine were laid to rest in Castlebar on Monday last.