Marcin Pieciak, 36, has been arraigned on charges after the murder of his girlfriend, Co Longford woman Sarah McNally, 41, at The Céilí House bar in Queens, New York City on Saturday, March 30.
Pieciak, of 76th Street in Glendale in Queens, was arrested and charged on Monday and arraigned on Wednesday. He has been charged with murder in the second degree and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.
According to The Daily News, Pieciak appeared before Queens Criminal Court Judge Julieta Lozano virtually from his bed in Elmhurst Hospital Center on Wednesday. During the arraignment, the court heard that Pieciak and McNally's relationship "was not going well" and that McNally had been considering returning to Ireland.
The Queens District Attorney's Office says that according to the charges, Pieciak stabbed McNally multiple times at The Céilí House, where she was bartending, on Saturday evening.
Pieciak cut his own throat several times and tried to leave the bar. A bar patron made efforts to detain Pieciak until police arrived.
Police recovered two knives from the ground after observing Pieciak drop them as he left the bar.
Judge Lozano ordered that Pieciak be held without bail and return to court on April 5. He faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.
District Attorney Katz said in a statement: “This was an attack that shocked the community.
"It was unprovoked and a devastating loss for the family.
"We are using every resource to make sure there is accountability.”
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe has been launched "for the funeral and associated costs for the family of Sarah McNally."
Emma Hayes, organizer of the GoFundMe that was launched two days ago, wrote: “Sarah was a beloved bartender from Queens, who was taken from us far too soon.
“We hope to support Sarah’s family in Ireland and raise funds in honor of her memory here in New York.
“Everyone that knew Sarah knows how special and kind she was, how she would remember the little things about each and every person that she met. She was so beloved by her Ceili House family and beyond.
"We hope to raise funds to support her family in their time of grief and show them how deeply loved she is by her New York Family.
"All funds will be sent directly to her Mam, Dorrie O’Connor.
"Details about a memorial mass will follow."
At the time of publication on Thursday, the GoFundMe had raised more than $3,600.
A post on RIP.ie says that McNally is "sadly missed and remembered with love by her family, her loving mother Dorrie, dear father Des, grandmother Kathleen O’Connor, aunts, uncles, relatives, extended family and a wide circle of friends in Longford and New York."
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