A man accused of hijacking a car and abducting a five-month-old baby girl in Dublin last week has not applied for bail and was further remanded in custody on Thursday.
Noel Ryan, 47, was charged over the incident in the north inner city on the afternoon of September 23rd, and facing bail objections in court three days later, he consented to be remanded in prison custody.
Mr Ryan, who was of no fixed abode, faced his second hearing via video link when he appeared before Judge Alan Mitchell at Cloverhill District Court on Thursday.
Judge Mitchell asked if the accused had been refused bail.
Dressed in a light grey tracksuit, Mr Ryan spoke only to give instructions to his solicitor, Sean McCormack, who told the judge that there was no bail application last week.
He added, “There is no application today”.
Judge Mitchell noted gardaí must obtain directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The accused would not consent to a four-week adjournment, so the judge remanded him in custody to appear again on October 17th.
He also said the defence must give gardaí 48 hours’ notice if Mr Ryan intends to make a bail application.
The proceedings have heard that the car was seized “by force “with the child on board while her mother “was taking the buggy out of the boot”.
Her mother had just stepped out of the car, which was then taken at around 1.50 pm with the infant, wearing a pink cardigan with ladybugs, pink headband, blue denim leggings and pink boots, still sitting in the back.
The incident led to gardai issuing an urgent child rescue alert and a public appeal for assistance in tracing the whereabouts of the five-month-old baby. She was found in the car parked on North Richmond Street, Dublin 1, shortly after 4 pm by a garda unit on patrol.
Mr Ryan, of no fixed abode, is accused of two offences at Mountjoy Square West: unlawful seizure of the car contrary to section 10 of the Criminal Law (Jurisdiction) Act 1976 and taking the baby from lawful control of her parent, which comes under section 17 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.
Mr Ryan, who has been granted legal aid, has yet to indicate a plea.
At his first court appearance last week, Detective Garda Paul Griffin said Mr Ryan “made no reply to the charges after caution”.
The detective stated that there would be objections to bail.
He said, “It’s alleged the accused unlawfully seized a vehicle on September 23rd, at 1.45 pm.
The vehicle was taken by force from the mother while a five-month-old child was in the rear seat of the vehicle.” “She was at the rear of the vehicle; she was taking the buggy out of the boot,”
“She was outside the car; the accused then entered the vehicle and drove off.
The vehicle was later recovered at 4 pm; the child was present and unharmed,” the detective had said. The child cannot be identified because she is a minor and has the right to anonymity.
