A man in his 20s appeared before Castleisland District Court in Co Kerry yesterday charged with assaulting and falsely imprisoning a woman at Glasamucky, Co Dublin, on Sunday last.
The 26-year-old man was heckled by a small group of onlookers when he was brought by gardaí into court at lunchtime yesterday.
He was charged with falsely imprisoning a woman contrary to section 15 of the Non-fatal Offences against the Person Act, 1997, and with assault causing harm, contrary to Section 3 of the same Act at Military Road, Glasamucky, Co Dublin, on November 19th last.
Sgt Joseph O'Hara of Shankill Garda station, Dublin, gave evidence of formally arresting the accused at Tralee Garda station yesterday.
On direction of the DPP he charged him and after caution the accused man replied "No", Sgt O'Hara said.
The man's solicitor, David Ramsay, told the court his client was unemployed and he was seeking legal aid.
Insp Barry O'Rourke, for the State, said the State objected to bail, and applied to remand him in custody to Tralee District Court next Wednesday.
Gardaí did not have an address for the accused who had been sleeping rough and in his car for some time.
Given the "serious nature" of the offences and because more serious charges were being considered, gardaí were concerned the accused might abscond.
There was also some concern he would interfere with witnesses, Insp O'Rourke said.
Outlining the allegation of false imprisonment, Sgt O'Hara said the accused met the injured party in Harcourt Street, Dublin.
He took her in his car to the Dublin mountains.
He used a cable to tie her hands and drove around the area for five hours. He then assaulted her badly with a stick over the head and face.
Insp O'Rourke said the accused had been ejected from two addresses in Co Kerry. False imprisonment carried a life sentence on conviction and he did not believe he would stand trial.
Asked if the accused had co-operated, Sgt O'Hara said "to a degree".
Judge James O'Connor remanded the man in custody to appear at Tralee District Court on Wednesday next and ordered that neither the injured party nor the accused be named because the DPP was considering more serious charges.