A 25-year-old male has appeared before the Criminal Courts of Justice this morning accused of having attempted to kidnap a 5-year-old child.
The court granted an application by Garda McDermott that the man’s identity not be reported due to “the current climate in the country”.
A sitting of Dublin District Court heard that the man allegedly tried to smuggle the child who is unknown to him out of an apartment building on the northside of Dublin “under his arm”, RTÉ reported.
The court heard that the man – whose identity cannot be reported by order of the court – is accused of attempting to leave a party he was at with the child hidden in this manner.
The court heard that the man was seen on CCTV interacting with two children aged 10 and five years.
The court heard Garda evidence that the man was seen leaving the apartment with the 5-year-old child under his arm.
After being followed by the other child he allegedly returned to the property.
The man’s legal counsel – who said he was not in a position to make a bail application – told the court that his client was intoxicated at the party at the time of the alleged incident.
When questioned in relation to the incident the man said, ““I was not taking a child anywhere. I am not a person like that. I did not have any intentions with a child. I did not have any bad or unwanted intentions with the child.”
Judge Gerard Jones commented that the incident was a “very serious matter” with the accused being remanded in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court on Wednesday.
As Gript previously reported, the incident is alleged to have taken place at a “domestic residential building” in Dublin 9 on Saturday evening.