A 29-year-old man has appeared before Mullingar District Court, charged with falsely imprisoning a Westmeath couple at their home in April this year.
Sean Walsh of Kilvarnet, Ballincarrow, in Ballymote, was arrested in Dublin on 18 December.
The Sligo man has now been charged with falsely imprisoning Brendan Cranston and his partner Linda Doherty at their home on Newbrook Road, Clonmore in Mullingar on 23 April.
Mr Walsh is also charged with burglary at the same address on the same day.
After a brief appearance in court this morning gardaí applied for Mr Walsh to be remanded in custody.
Detective Sergeant Willoughby of Mullingar Garda Station told Judge John Neilan that when Mr Walsh was arrested he was found to have a false passport in his possession.
The court was also told he also had two train tickets to Rosslare on his person.
Detective Sergeant Willoughby said that gardaí were objecting to bail because the witnesses in this prosecution feared for their personal safety and there were concerns about the possibility of intimidation.
An application was made on behalf of Mr Walsh for him to be released on bail, but after examining a passport presented to the court, Judge Neilan remanded Mr Walsh in custody to Cloverhill Prison to appear again at a sitting of the district tomorrow in Granard.
Brendan Cranston and Linda Doherty were abducted from their home in Mullingar on the 23 April and subsequently discovered by the PSNI in Derry several days later.
Both of them had been shot in the leg and a man from Co Derry has already appeared before the courts in Derry charged with their assault and false imprisonment.
