A father of two was yesterday remanded in custody after being charged in connection with an incident earlier this month in which a woman was abducted at knifepoint and her car hijacked in Co Cork.
Pawel Folta (28), The Green, Dun Eala, Fermoy, was charged with the false imprisonment of the 26-year-old woman at the Texaco Garage, Cork Road, Fermoy, on December 8th, contrary to Section 15 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.
Folta was also charged with stealing a Nokia mobile phone value €100 and €30 in cash from the woman, contrary to the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001, on the same occasion.
He was also charged with a third count of unlawfully taking the woman's Toyota Yaris without her consent at Bridgelands East, Rathcormac, also on December 8th, contrary to Section 112 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961.
Yesterday at Cobh District Court, Garda Eugene Farrell gave evidence of arresting and charging Folta, a Polish citizen, with the three offences. Folta made no reply to any of the charges when they were put to him after caution, said Garda Farrell.
Insp Pat McCarthy said Folta was married with two young children but his family were back in Poland and he had only been in Ireland for the past three months, working as a construction labourer laying roadside kerbing with a firm in Mitchelstown.
He said the charges against Folta were "very, very serious" and that a file would be prepared on the matter for the Director of Public Prosecutions, and further charges may be brought against the accused.
Folta's solicitor Don Ryan made no application for bail and Judge Leo Malone remanded Folta in custody at Cork Prison to appear again at Mitchelstown District Court to await directions from the DPP.