Man appears in court in connection with Padraig Fox murder

By Paul Higgins

A Co. Down man has appeared in court in connection with the murder of Padraig Fox.

Defence solicitor John Keown also told Newtownards Magistrates Court that 21-year-old Donach Rice had “specifically asked me to convey his heartfelt apologies to the family of the deceased.”

Standing handcuffed in the dock Rice, from the Kilkeel Road in Annalong, was charged with six offences including the murder of Padraig Fox on 8 December this year. 

Rice, who appeared wearing a grey tracksuit, was also charged with two counts of perverting justice by giving police a statement which he knew to be false and by submitting himself to a knife wound “to give the false impression that the wound had been inflicted by self defence.”

He was also accused of burglary of the Slieve Donard Hotel where he allegedly stole three bottles of alcohol, attempted robbery of cash from Daniel Curran and fraud by false representation in that he allegedly cashed a winning betting slip at Toal’s bookmakers.

The charges arise after the body of Mr Fox (29) was found at around 1.45pm on Saturday inside a flat on Burrendale Park Road in Newcastle.

It is understood Mr Fox had only moved into the block of flats a few months ago.

Giving evidence to the court today (wed), Detective Inspector Wright said he believed he could connect Rice to each of the charges.

Under cross examination from Mr Keown, he agreed that Mr Fox’s “tragic death was delivered by one punch” but the senior officer added however that “the victim had been assaulted prior to that one punch.”

“I have been asked by the defendant, who has made admissions to delivering that one punch, asked specifically by him to convey his heartfelt apologies to the family of the deceased,” said the solicitor.

As there was no application for bail, District Judge Mark Hamill remanded Rice into custody to appear at Downpatrick Magistrates Court via videolink on 3 January. 

Appearing later in the same dock was 26-year-old Paul Patrick Magennis.

Magennis, from Burrendale Park in Newcastle, close to where Mr Fox was killed, is accused of the theft of a bicycle on 6 December, two counts of perverting the course of justice and the attempted robbery of cash from Mr Curran on 8 December.

Magennis is alleged to have perverted justice by also allowing himself to be inflicted with a knife wound “following me murder of Padraig Fox to give the false impression” of self defence but also that he “placed a knife under the hand of Padraig Fox following his murder.”

Again, DI Wright said he believed he could connect Magennis to each of his offences and as defence counsel Sean O’Hare did not apply for bail, he was also remanded into custody to appear again on 3 January.