THE TWO Irish men charged with the murder of a 66-year-old man in Sydney, Australia will remain behind bars after being refused bail.
24-year-old Christopher McLaughlin and 21-year-old Nathan Kelly from County Donegal were originally arrested on charges of reckless grievous bodily harm and affray.
It followed an assault on 66-year-old Paul Tavelardis who was found lying on the side of a road with serious injuries in the Summer Hill area of Sydney on December 29th.
Though paramedics were able to administer aid at the scene, he was said to be fighting for his life after being taken to the nearby Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
The charges against the pair were subsequently upgraded to murder after Tavelardis died in hospital on Monday morning.
McLaughlin and Kelly appeared in Burwood Local Court on Wednesday via video-link from separate prisons.
Kelly is currently being held at Silverwater Correctional Complex while McLaughlin appeared is in Long Bay Prison Hospital.
Though they didn’t apply for bail in the hearing, it was formally refused by magistrate Louise McManus.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Tavelardis’ son revealed his father, who was a grandfather of nine and had been battling leukaemia at the time of her death, had gone “walkabout” at the time of the attack and may have been sleeping in his car.
“He loved to travel, that was his indigenous side, he loved to go, as we say, 'walkabout'" he told the newspaper.
“Every two or three years he would save enough money, buy a sedan and go out into the desert and sleep in the back of his car.”
He also confirmed that the families of both Irish suspects had been in contact and there was no lasting animosity between them.
“The families of the two boys, they would be going through a lot of hardship as well,” he added.
The pair will next appear in court on March 6th.
