The Supreme Court has rejected a challenge by a Co Louth man against an order for his extradition to Spain where he is wanted for the alleged murder of his wife.
Michael Dermot McArdle (36), of Heynestown, Dundalk, is being sought by Spanish police following the death of his wife, Kelly Anne (28), who fell from a balcony in Marbella in February 2000.
Mr McArdle was the first person to be the subject of a European arrest warrant, which came into force here in January last year.
The Supreme Court today rejected Mr McArdle's appeal against the granting of the European Arrest Warrant by the President of the High Court, Mr Justice Joseph Finnegan in May.
Chief Justice John Murray, the head of the five-judge court, found that Mr Finnegan had made a technical error in making the order but said it was within the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to correct it.
He rejected the contention by Mr McArdle's defence team that the extradition order should have named the Spanish official who their client will be surrendered to.
Following the death of his wife, McArdle was allowed to return home to Ireland for his wife's burial, but he was arrested in October 2001 under a warrant issued under the 1965 Extradition Act.
However, the extradition request was dropped because there was no extradition agreement between Ireland and Spain until the European arrest warrant system came into force in January last year.
Relatives of Kelly Anne McArdle were in court for the judgment. Speaking outside the court, her brother-in-law, Peter Moran,
said: "Kelly Anne's husband has not explained the circumstances surrounding her death and perhaps now the family will find out the truth."
PA