A man accused of abducting his five-year-old daughter and bringing her to the Republic applied for bail in the High Court in Belfast yesterday. Mr Gerard McCullough (56), of John Street, Belfast, who is also charged with assaulting his estranged wife, Ms Francine O'Brien, had been remanded in custody on Thursday after returning from Co Kerry with his daughter, Shannon O'Brien. His lawyer said he took his daughter away for her protection because he believed she was not being looked after properly.
A Crown lawyer said it was feared that if Mr McCullough was released on bail he would try to abduct the girl again. Lord Justice Nicholson adjourned the application to hear evidence from social workers after being told of allegations concerning the welfare of Shannon and other children in the family.