Latvian men remanded on car hijack charges

Two Latvian men appeared in court today charged in connection with the hijacking of a woman’s car in Dublin.

The 38-year-old woman was stopped at the traffic lights on the East Wall Road last night when the incident occurred, but she managed to escape and flee to a nearby fire station.

Sergeant Stephen O’Keefe told Dublin District Court that Vafilijf Lapefkinf, 26, with an address at Milton Apartments, Dublin Road, Swords, and Juris Krasoufkif, 27, with an address at Pheasant Run, Clonee, were charged at 1.33pm today. They made no reply after caution.

The men are charged with handling a stolen car under Section 17 of the Theft and Fraud Offences Act.

They appeared in court dressed in navy and black fleece tops, black tracksuit bottoms and white runners.

The proceedings were translated for them by a Russian interpreter.

The court heard that both men would be applying for bail but that the address of one of them had to be checked in advance of the next court date.

Judge Hugh O’Donnell remanded the two men in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on January 24 at 10.30am.