Woman accused in 18-year-old Canadian abduction case lived and worked in Cork

A Canadian woman accused of abducting her baby daughter 18 years ago lived with her daughter for a number of years in the Co Cork town of Carrigaline under an assumed identity, it is believed.

Patricia O'Byrne, now aged 54, left Canada with her then 20-month-old daughter in 1993 after the break-up of her relationship with the baby girl's father Joe Chisholm. The couple were engaged in a custody battle at the time.

Under the name Pamela Whelan, Ms O'Byrne, whose parents were Irish, worked as deputy editor in Thomas Crosbie Media (TCM) between August 2000 and May 2004.

She returned to Canada in 2004, where she worked in British Colombia as a public information officer for the provincial government at several ministries.

Ms O'Byrne was arrested at her home last week and brought to Toronto to face one charge of abduction in contravention of a custody order. She has been denied bail.

Her lawyer Edward Greenspan said he would seek a review of the bail decision in Superior Court in the coming weeks.

The next scheduled hearing is on Dec 21.