Taxi driver charged with rape remanded on bail

A taxi driver charged with raping a woman in his car in Dublin has been remanded on bail pending the preparation of a book of evidence.

The arrest followed a Garda appeal for information described as “a high-profile media campaign” which also involved a feature on RTÉ’s Crimecall programme.

The 35-year-old, a foreign national who also has Irish citizenship, was arrested on Monday at his home in Dublin.

Gardaí had received directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for trial on indictment.

He was charged with two counts of rape and two other charges of oral rape of the woman, who was in her 20s, at Emmet Street, in Dublin’s north inner city, in the early hours of December 9th last.

On Monday, at Dublin District Court bail was set at €6,000 with a requirement to abide by strict conditions, including a ban on driving a taxi. His solicitor had said the accused denies the charges.

Det Sgt Jonathan Kelly told the court the accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had nothing to say when he was charged at Irishtown Garda station.

The DPP has directed the man should be returned for trial to the Central Criminal Court, however, a book of evidence has not yet been completed.

Det Sgt Kelly objected to bail on the grounds of “flight risk due to the seriousness of the charges”.

He also said the accused left the country after the alleged incident and a public appeal for information but he subsequently returned.

On Monday, he had been remanded in custody with consent to bail.

He appeared before Judge Alan Mitchell at Cloverhill District Court on Thursday.

The accused was remanded on bail to appear again at Dublin District Court next Thursday. He has surrendered his passports.

Bail was set €6,000 and he has been ordered to obey a 10pm to 6am curfew, to reside at his current address, “refrain from driving a taxi”, and to sign on daily at his local Garda station.

He was ordered to stay away from the complainant and to remain out of parts of Dublin.