British businessman denied bail over alleged child sex offences

A British businessman has been denied bail following his extradition to Ireland to stand trial for sexually abusing two children.

The man, who is in his thirties, cannot be named for legal reasons, and had been brought back to Ireland after US marshals in Florida handed him over to gardai.

An investigation had been launched after two girls had been taken into care in 2011.

Gardai feared the businessman would not turn up for his trial here because he has been living in a South American country which has no bilateral extradition with Ireland.

He appeared at Dublin District Court today to face 33 charges, including three counts of rape and 30 for sexual assaults allegedly perpetrated on his ex-partner’s two daughters, aged 10 and 12.

The assaults are alleged to have taken place on dates in 2010, and the following year, in Co Louth and at a hotel in Dublin.

The man, who has not yet entered a plea, was remanded in custody after Judge James Faughnan refused to grant bail.

This means the defendant will have to go to the High Court if he wants to make another effort to be released pending his trial, which will take place at a later stage in the Central Criminal Court.

Det Garda Michael Scanlon objected to bail on the belief that the man was a flight risk. He told Judge Faughnan the accused had moved to Ireland with his partner and her children, following “difficulties with social services in the UK”.

The accused funded his ex-partner when she needed to go away and it was during these periods the majority of the offences were alleged to have been committed, it was alleged.

The children were later taken into care after which the two girls made allegations.

Det Garda Scanlon said that the accused had no fixed address in Ireland, and had access to “substantial funds”. The officer said he feared the accused, if given bail, “will return to South America and out of the reach of Irish authorities”.

The accused man was extradited to Ireland after he had been detained by US authorities in Florida while he was due to travel to Chile via Columbia, Judge Faughnan was told.

Defence solicitor Philip Hannon asked the court to grant bail to his client who, it was proposed, would abide by residency and curfew conditions and orders not to apply for travel documents.

The accused’s brother and current girlfriend were in court for the hearing and they planned to stay in Ireland to live with the defendant if he were released.

In reply, Ray Briscoe, solicitor for the DPP, said, “there are no bail conditions whatsoever which would alleviate the State’s concerns in this case”.

The accused spoke once during the hearing saying: “I am sorry, I want to say one thing” and then he spoke quietly to his lawyer.

However, after that he did not address the court further. He will face his next hearing on July 30th, at Cloverhill District Court.