Tobin to appeal extradition to Hungary

A Dublin man convicted in Hungary of causing the deaths of two children in a road accident almost 11 years ago is in the Supreme Court today challenging his extradition.

Ciaran Tobin (aged 46) from Offington Drive in Sutton, was sentenced in his absence to 18 months in jail for negligent driving causing the deaths of a five and a two-year-old in April 2000.

Ciaran Tobin was working in Hungary at the time of the accident outside Budapest when it is claimed that the car he was driving mounted a footpath, killing two children.

He left seven months later in November 2000 and returned to Ireland.

In subsequent extradition proceedings it was accepted by the High Court and the Supreme Court that he could not be surrendered to Hungary because he had not fled the country.

The law changed in 2009 and a new European Arrest Warrant was issued which led to the High Court, paving the way for his handover to the Hungarian authorities.

That is under appeal with his lawyers arguing before five judges that there is an abuse of process arising from the inequality between him and the State who, having lost first time round on the 'fled' issue came back, the law having changed, and started it all again.