A Co Louth man sought by Spain after being convicted there of his wife's manslaughter appeared before the High Court in Dublin today.
Dermot McArdle, who was convicted of manslaughter by a Spanish court in 2008, appeared before a special sitting of the court today following his arrest arrest under a European arrest warrant.
Consent to bail was granted to McArdle, and a court hearing was fixed for February 9th.
Spain is seeking McArdle's extradition to serve a two year sentence he received for causing the death of Kelly-Ann Corcoran. Last October, a Spanish judge signed off on an EU arrest warrant for McArdle after he failed to hand himself in for the start of a two-year jail sentence for manslaughter.
McArdle, from Brookfield, Heynestown, Dundalk, had been asked to turn himself in by September 15th, 2010, to start his jail sentence. The court order followed a series of failed appeals against his October 2008 conviction for the manslaughter of his wife.
Ms Corcoran (29) died in February 2000, two days after falling from room 421 of Marbella’s Melia Don Pepe Hotel.
Mr Justice Barry White was today informed that McArdle was arrested on Saturday on foot of a European arrest warrant issued by a Spanish judge that was subsequently endorsed by the High Court in Dublin last Friday afternoon.
McArdle did not speak during the brief hearing. His counsel, Mark Lynam BL, told the court his client, who was supporting his two teenage children, was out of work since December 2008 and was on social welfare of €253 per week.
Counsel said that his client intended to take up bail and given his client’s current circumstances will be applying for legal aid under the Attorney General scheme.
Mr Justice White agreed to remand McArdle in custody with consent to bail. The terms of the bail include that he pay his own bond of €150, plus an independent surety of €20,000, €5000 of which must be be a cash lodgement.
In addition to those terms McArdle must reside at his home address, surrender his passport and not apply for any new travel documents, sign on daily at Dundalk Garda Station and be of good behaviour.
The judge, who informed McArdle of his rights to consent to his surrender and to legal representation, added that McArdle is to appear before the High Court on Wednesday, February 9th.