A Dublin man wanted in Hungary for causing the deaths of two children in a car crash over 10 years ago has voluntarily entered custody pending the outcome of his extradition fight.
Hungarian authorities have sought the surrender of Ciarán Tobin (47), with an address at Offington Drive, Sutton, who was convicted in absentia of negligent driving causing the deaths of siblings Marton (5) and Petra (2) Zotlai in April 2000.
Mr Tobin was sentenced to three years imprisonment by a court in Budapest, but this was reduced to 18 months on appeal.
In February the High Court found that the points of objection raised against his surrender were insufficient and ordered that he be extradited to Hungary. He is appealing that decision to the Supreme Court.
Mr Tobin entered custody of his own volition at the High Court in Dublin this morning. Should extradition proceedings against him succeed, he will likely receive credit for time spent already in custody.
The court had heard Mr Tobin lawfully left Hungary following the cessation of his employment contract in November 2000 and that for a period of almost five-and-a-half years there was no question of his extradition from Ireland.
Extradition proceedings brought against him in 2007 failed after the Supreme Court upheld a High Court ruling that Mr Tobin had not “fled” Hungary under the terms of the legislation governing European Arrest Warrants.
However, a change to legislation introduced under the Criminal Justice Act, resulted in a fresh application for his extradition by the Hungarian authorities in September 2009.
Lawyers for Mr Tobin have brought his case before the Supreme Court on the basis that it raises points of law of exceptional public importance