GARDAI have placed an alleged kidnap victim under 24 hour protection after he told the Special Criminal Court yesterday he was afraid.
Mr Seamus Cudden (18) under took to appear before the court on May 8th when an early trial date will be sought for Mr Stephen Boyle (26), of Grange Close, Dundalk, Co Louth, who pleaded not guilty before the Special Criminal Court month to falsely imprisoning Cudden at Carrstown, Drogheda, on May 30th last year.
Mr Boyle was remanded on continuing bail.
Mr Boyle's trial was adjourned last week after the court heard that gardai had failed to find Mr Cudden, who was described as a key prosecution witness. The court issued a warrant for Mr Cudden's arrest on April 23rd after hearing he had gone missing from his home the previous day.
In court yesterday, State solicitor Mr Brendan Counihan said Mr Cudden had been arrested on foot of a Special Criminal Court warrant. He said Mr Cudden was a witness for the prosecution in the case of Mr Boyle.
Det Garda Joseph Curley said he arrested Mr Cudden at 10 p.m. on Tuesday after Mr Cudden presented himself voluntarily at Drogheda Garda station. The witness said Mr Cudden was very frightened and his family had received threats. He had lived rough for two or three nights in a wood outside Drogheda. He said he would have doubts whether Mr Cudden would turn up for Mr Boyle's trial.
Mr Justice Johnson, presiding, and Mr Justice Morris said to Mr Counihan that the State had a duty to protect the witness. The matter was adjourned for 20 minutes while the issue of Garda protection for Mr Cudden was explored.
When the hearing resumed, Mr Counihan said that gardai would provide 24 hour protection for Mr Cudden until the trial of Mr Boyle opened.