Parents who abducted own daughter 'heavily involved in substance abuse'

A 33-year-old man who abducted his two-year-old daughter from a health centre in County Mayo last October has had sentencing adjourned pending trial on separate charges. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that both parents were heavily involved in substance abuse at the time of the abduction on October 12th. The man pleaded guilty to intentionally taking his daughter during a scheduled access visit. Following a nationwide Child Safety Alert, gardaí located the family at a Dublin hotel where the child was removed and the parents arrested. The court heard that weeks later the man attempted to abduct the child again from a house in County Mayo. He now faces trial in Castlebar Circuit Court next year on charges including assault, burglary and criminal damage. His co-parent, a UK national, pleaded guilty to abduction but failed to appear for sentencing and is now residing in London. Judge Martin Nolan adjourned sentencing until March 8th next.