Loredana Morosanu (48) was found dead at her Finglas apartment.Facebook

Around 50 people stood in the cold on Melville Terrace in Finglas on Tuesday night, some of them holding candles, for a 48-year-old Romanian woman most of them knew only by sight. Loredana Morosanu was found dead at her home in the north Dublin estate in the early hours of Monday morning, and her partner has since been charged with her murder.

Gardaí (police) were called to the house shortly after 4.30am on Monday, October 26, and Ms. Morosanu was pronounced dead at the scene. The pharmacy worker had lived and worked in Dublin over the past decade, though she had been a resident on Melville Terrace only a short time. It is understood she was originally from Botosani, in northeastern Romania.

Daniel Simion Toader, 47, a Romanian national who also gave an address at Melville Terrace, appeared before a special sitting of Dublin District Court on Tuesday evening, charged with murdering Ms. Morosanu at their home.

The hearing lasted roughly two minutes, RTÉ reported. The accused stood with his hands in his pockets as proceedings began, then sat down and spoke only to a court-appointed interpreter.

Detective Sergeant Niall Murray of Finglas Garda Station gave evidence of arrest, charge, and caution. He told the court that Toader had been arrested on Tuesday evening and made no reply to the charge after he was cautioned.

A court without a defense solicitor

Judge Máire Conneely asked whether the accused had legal representation. Sgt Murray said Toader had eight consultations during his detention but had nobody representing him in the courtroom, and that his circumstances had been explained to him at length, including what a murder charge would mean for any prospect of bail.

The gap is not unique to this case. Most criminal law solicitors in Dublin have withdrawn their services in response to legal aid payment reforms introduced in July, a dispute that has caused widespread disruption across the criminal justice system.

The judge noted the row over criminal legal aid and said, "Hopefully that will be resolved soon," the Irish Examiner reported.

Because of the murder charge, there was no scope for a bail application. Toader was remanded in custody to appear again by video link before Cloverhill District Court on Tuesday, November 3.

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A single red rose on the green

The vigil on Melville Terrace came only hours after that court appearance. Local councillors joined residents who gathered in silence in the estate where Ms. Morosanu died, The Journal reported.

Some of those who turned out had come to know her by sight in the previous two weeks. None of them knew her well. At one point the main organizer asked whether anyone who had known her wanted to say a few words, and nobody came forward, TheJournal.ie reported.

One Romanian man, named as Constantine, said he had chatted with her briefly and that he came from a city "not far away" from where she was from. As the vigil went on, a local man placed a single red rose on a green in the middle of the estate.

The Garda investigation is continuing. Toader has not entered a plea and, as with any accused person before the Irish courts, is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Anyone in Ireland affected by domestic abuse can contact the Women's Aid 24-hour National Freephone Helpline on 1800 341 900, which operates every day of the year and offers support in more than 200 languages.