The alleged driver of a van that killed Kildare teenager Kedagh Moore (16) last Sunday night has been refused bail at Athy District Court after gardaí raised concerns that he may represent a flight risk.
Judge Desmond Zaidan heard how Marin Silaghi (40), with an address in Ballybrittas, Portlaoise, had only been in the country for eight weeks at the time of the incident, and that all of his immediate family were still in Romania.
Garda Mark Ryan told the court on Tuesday that Mr Silaghi was located approximately three hours after the impact, which occurred on the R403 in Blackwood, when he was stopped at a random intoxiliser test at Leixlip.
Garda Ryan said Mr Silaghi claimed to have no recollection of hitting a person, and thought the “serious damage” to the front of his van was caused by a stone or a deer.
An Irishwoman sailing around the world: ‘This paradise has just seven residents and two dogs’
Tailbacks from Forty Foot stretch for miles as Christmas swimmers descend
‘What has you here?’: Eight years dead and safe in a Galway graveyard, yet here Grandad was standing before me
Róisín Ingle: My profound, challenging, surprisingly joyful, life-changing year
Mr Silaghi was discovered to be over the legal limit and was arrested at Leixlip Garda station.
“It was very fortuitous the gardaí had mandated the drink and drugs stop,” noted the judge.
“It appears he wasn’t willing to turn himself in,” Garda Ryan alleged.
“How long was it before someone realised a human being was on the side of the road?” asked Judge Zaidan.
“Very shortly – another motorist called an ambulance,” said Garda Ryan.
He said the body of Mr Moore was discovered 40m from the scene of the impact.
“Shocking,” said the judge.
Mr Silaghi’s solicitor Tim Kennelly told the court his client was working with his cousin, who has “a very successful construction business” and is living in Ballybrittas with a number of colleagues.
Garda Ryan said he did not believe the offer of a €10,000 surety to guarantee Mr Silaghi would remain in the country was sufficient, and Judge Zaidan agreed.
He remanded Mr Silaghi in custody until next Tuesday, November 19th, to appear by videolink in Naas District Court.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis