Man charged in connection with Ian Baitson's death due in court this morning  

A MAN arrested in connection with the fatal assault of Ian Baitson in Cobh is due to appear in court this morning.

Gardaí investigating the attack on Mr Baitson, which occurred on March 15, arrested the man last Friday evening.

He is expected to appear before Midleton District Court at 10.30am today.

The assault on Mr Baitson occurred shortly before 9pm on March 15 in the Eurospar car park on the Newtown Road in Cobh.

He was subsequently taken to Cork University Hospital (CUH) for treatment.

However, he was pronounced dead last Tuesday afternoon.

A post-mortem examination was undertaken at the CUH on Wednesday.

However, gardaí have declined to comment on its findings for operational reasons.

Mr Baitson is survived by his mother Helen, brother Richard and his children Zoe and Myles.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to assist the family with funeral costs and to support the young children of the deceased in the coming months.

The fundraiser, which at the time of print had raised close to €13,000, said the family also wish to donate a portion of the proceeds to the Intensive Care Unit at Cork University Hospital “in honour of the exceptional care and support they provided to Ian during his time there”.

“The ICU at CUH holds a special place in our hearts for the remarkable work they continue to do, and the extraordinary care they extend to patients and their families.

“By making a donation in Ian’s honour, we express our deepest gratitude to the dedicated healthcare professionals who tirelessly serve our community through the most difficult of times,” it said.

Organisers of the fundraiser (on website below) described Mr Baitson as “not only a great family man, but a great friend and colleague”.

The GoFundMe page is available at https://www.gofundme.com/f/ian-baitson.