Man convicted of kidnapping mother of his children

A man has been convicted of kidnapping the mother of his children at the Central Criminal Court following a two-week trial. The jury returned a guilty verdict after deliberating for over five hours. However, jurors could not reach agreement on charges of rape and extreme domestic abuse during their five-year relationship. Justice Carmel Stewart remanded the accused in custody pending a prosecution decision next month on whether to seek a retrial on the outstanding counts. The woman, aged 29, had obtained a barring order against the man before the November 2014 incident in Longford. She alleged he forcibly removed her from her sister's house, drove recklessly along country roads, and held her at his friend's residence while threatening her. The accused pleaded not guilty to rape, false imprisonment, and production of an article. He also faced multiple assault charges spanning 2011 to 2015, though one assault charge and a breach of barring order were not proceeded with.