A man accused of sexual assault and false imprisonment of a woman in south Dublin has been refused bail.
Seif Waleed Al Hin Dawi, 22, believed to be from Jordan, was initially charged with assault causing harm to the woman who suffered facial injuries on the night of 23 May last.
He had been denied bail in the District Court and the causing harm allegation was later dropped. However, it was replaced with sexual assault and false imprisonment charges.
He brought a fresh application for bail before Mr Justice Paul Burns at the High Court in Cloverhill.
Judge Burns said the accused had the presumption of innocence, but was a flight risk, and he refused bail.
He noted the evidence of Detective Garda Dermot Haugh who opposed the defendant's application to be released on bail pending his trial.
Detective Garda Haugh told Gillian Finane BL, for the State, that the accused and the woman did not know each other, the man had no ties to the State, and there were fears he would flee the jurisdiction.
The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed that the man face a trial by jury in the Circuit Criminal Court.
The bail hearing was told that the woman in her 40s reported that a male assaulted her after she got off a Luas tram at about 11.20pm.
It was claimed she told gardaí that she "felt someone was following her". She continued walking to her housing estate and contacted her husband because "she felt uneasy about a male following her on foot".
The court heard she phoned her husband and "glanced back to see she was definitely followed".
It was claimed that the man ran toward her, pushed her to the ground and assaulted her.
She was still on a call with her husband, the court heard, as she defended herself.
She managed to kick the man and succeeded in getting away and running home.
