Judge remands man in custody in Dublin carjacking case
A 31-year-old man has appeared in court accused of stabbing a taxi driver during an alleged carjacking in Dublin in the early hours of Saturday.
Mark Lavelle, who is originally from Swinford, Co Mayo, has been refused bail and will appear in court again on Friday.
It is alleged the 58-year-old taxi driver was attacked by a passenger in Palmerstown after he had picked up the fare on the quays at around 1am on Saturday.
He was stabbed in the arm by the man who grabbed him by the neck, demanded money and then drove off in the cab.
Mark Lavelle was arrested around 8am that morning at an Esso service station in Maynooth, Co Kildare, when gardaí noticed a taxi being driven in a dangerous manner.
The court heard evidence from Garda Padraig Jennings that, when charged with the unauthorised taking of a vehicle and assault causing harm, he replied: "I didn't take a car, I bought a car that was stolen" and "it wasn't me I told you the person who sold me the car".
The Garda also said it was alleged the accused "matches the physical description of the offender described by injured party".
Described as a recovering drug addict of no fixed abode, the 31-year-old may face more serious charges.
