BELFAST – Manslaughter suspect Donald “Larry” Mooney appeared Tuesday in Belfast District Court and was released on $10,000 real estate bail.

Mooney, 36, of Palermo faces a charge of manslaughter for the Memorial Day shooting death of his neighbor, Daniel Walsh.

Walsh, 40, of Palermo was shot after a fistfight broke out between the two men when Mooney attempted to intervene in a dispute between Walsh and his wife and children.

Mooney did not address the bench during his court appearance. Defense attorney Walter McKee of Augusta argued unsuccessfully for lower bail. McKee told Judge John Nivison that Mooney could not afford bail and asked that it be reduced to $2,500. Nivison denied the request.

A few hours after Mooney’s court appearance, a Palermo neighbor put up a piece of real estate as his surety bail.

Mooney was arrested Monday, a week after he allegedly entered Walsh’s home, fought with him, then shot him with a .22 caliber revolver.

Walsh and Mooney had been drinking together earlier in the day but had parted company by evening.

According to an affidavit filed with the case, Mooney told state police detectives that he shot Walsh after repeatedly trying to keep him from harming his family. Walsh had punched his stepson, John Bradbury, in the face, knocking him into a bathtub and chased his wife Erin Walsh and her other two children from the house.

At her mother’s instruction, Walsh’s daughter Kimberly ran to Mooney’s trailer seeking protection from her father. Walsh apparently had an abusive relationship with his family, and members had often turned to Mooney for protection.

Seeking out Mooney to intervene in family disputes “was not uncommon,” according to Detective Laurie Northrup’s affidavit.

Mooney lived 300 feet away from the Walsh residence, and he drove over on his ATV after being called to help out. When he arrived at the trailer, the two men began fighting. The fight started in the home and was carried outside.

After the fight, Mooney returned home, grabbed his revolver and went back to confront Walsh. He told detectives he wanted to get Walsh out of the home and away from his family, which by that time had fled in their car to a nearby blueberry field.

Mooney told police that he and Walsh once more exchanged blows inside the trailer. The handgun fell to the floor during the fight and was recovered by Mooney. At that point, Mooney told police, he leveled the pistol at Walsh and said, “Dan, you’ve got to leave, don’t come near me or I’m going to shoot you,” according to the affidavit.

Mooney told detectives that he remembered firing a warning shot and then fired three more times. He said he left the trailer when Walsh fell to the floor. Police later recovered the gun from Mooney’s ATV.

Police were alerted to the shooting at approximately 7:15 p.m. Monday, May, 27. Walsh was taken to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. He died the following afternoon. The cause of death was listed as a gunshot to the head and brain.

Mooney cooperated with police throughout the investigation and offered no resistance when he was arrested at home on Monday.

As conditions of his bail, Mooney must have no contact with Erin Walsh, Kimberly Walsh, John Bradbury and Caitlin Bradbury. He also must contact McKee weekly to confirm his presence in Maine and sign a waiver of extradition. A probable cause hearing was set for July 9.