The High Court has fixed a date in October to hear extradition proceedings against a Co Louth man, who three years ago was found guilty by a Spanish court of the manslaughter of his wife.
Michael Dermot McArdle (41) of Brookfield, Heynestown, Dundalk, is wanted by Spanish authorities to serve a two year sentence for causing the death of Kelly Ann Corcoran on February 11th, 2000.
The mother-of-two died from injuries sustained when she fell from a hotel balcony while on a family holiday in Marbella on the Costa del Sol.
Mr Justice John Edwards remanded McArdle, who was present in court for this morning’s hearing, on continuing bail to appear before the court on October 27th for the extradition hearing, which is expected to last one day.
McArdle was convicted by a jury in Malaga in October 2008 but was allowed to return to Ireland pending an appeal.
He was due to hand himself in to the Spanish authorities to begin his jail sentence in September of last year, but failed to do so and was arrested in January on foot of a European Arrest Warrant issued by a Spanish judge.
In February lawyers for McArdle told the High Court that their client was appealing to the Constitutional Court in Spain and had a “legitimate expectation” that he would not have to return to the jurisdiction until after the outcome of this appeal.