A Wexford man who was extradited from England on a charge of dangerous driving causing death in Co Carlow last year was remanded in custody last night.
Mr Michael Furlong (26), of Esmond Road, Enniscorthy, arrived in Ireland yesterday evening and was brought to a special sitting of Wicklow District Court. He claimed that he had been subjected to death threats recently.
He is facing charges of dangerous driving causing the death of 15-year-old Ms Natalie Freeman at Kilcarrig, Bagenalstown, on March 15th last year, and of driving without insurance.
The court heard that Mr Furlong failed to appear in court in Bagenalstown last December to answer the charges. Gardaí became alerted to his whereabouts following his appearance on the British Boys and Girls TV show and applied for an extradition warrant.
This was granted last month and gardaí travelled to England to bring Mr Furlong back to this jurisdiction. Det Sgt Benny Mills told the court that he arrested Mr Furlong on arrival yesterday at Dublin Airport. He applied for a remand in custody to Bagenalstown next Monday.
Mr John O'Leary, solicitor for the accused, formally applied for bail. He said his client's motive for leaving the country wasn't to evade the court, but to evade people who were threatening him as a result of the events which led to the criminal charges.
The accused told Judge Donnchadh Ó Buachalla that his mother had received death threats in the mail. "She just got a letter saying I should be murdered and I should be brought back here and hanged." The judge refused the bail request and remanded Mr Furlong to appear before Bagenalstown District Court next Monday.
Legal aid was granted after Mr O'Leary indicated that his client had no job and hadn't received the proceeds from his win on the game show.