Cork gardaí 'at a loss' over man who had passports in names of two babies who died in the 50s

Det Garda Hanley said the accused 'held an Irish passport for 30 years but only recently obtained a PPS number'

The new charge brought on Tuesday against the unidentified defendant states that on September 11 this year at the passport office on South Mall, Cork, he provided information or documents which were false or misleading, in connection with a passport application. File picture: Denis Minihane

International investigations into a 70-year-old man with an American accent who was arrested in Cork have now established that he had passports in the names of two babies who died within three months of birth in 1952 and 1953.

“We are at a loss as to who this person is. He has offered us no assistance whatsoever,” Detective Garda Padraic Hanley of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation said on Tuesday.

A new passport-related charge was brought against the man and there was an objection to bail being granted to him. Judge Olann Kelleher remanded him in custody until October 10. He was prosecuted under the name of Philip Frank Morris.

“We have made numerous investigations as to this person’s identity. We are satisfied he is not Philip Morris or Geoffrey Warbrook (the two names on passports allegedly seized from the accused). Both of those people died within three months of birth. We have interviewed siblings of both of those people and established that they died in 1952 and 1953.

“There are two passports, one of which has been renewed. Numerous international enquiries regarding fingerprints and photos have been made. I have gone down every avenue we could go down,” the detective said at Cork District Court.

Enquiries have gone through Interpol which would have links with most police forces in the world. There has also been contact with various financial institutions and the US State Department.

Frank Buttimer, defence solicitor, asked about the progress from these enquiries and the detective described them as inconclusive. Det. Garda Hanley said enquiries also went to the US State Department because it appeared that the accused has an American accent.

The new charge brought on Tuesday against the unidentified defendant states that on September 11 this year at the passport office on South Mall, Cork, he provided information or documents which were false or misleading, in connection with a passport application.

There are two similar charges against the man whose real identity is unknown. One refers to an unknown date between September 12 and 25, 2012, at the Passport Office on South Mall, Cork and the application for the issue of a passport. The particulars of the charge state that he provided information for the issue of a passport which was false or misleading.

The second charge is similar but refers to a different date, June 7, 2022.

Det. Garda Hanley said the defendant was arrested at the passport office on the South Mall in Cork on September 14. The detective said that, when questioned, the man said he was living in Ireland and needed the passport to leave the country but refused to assist the officers in any way.

Det. Garda Hanley said of the accused: “He held an Irish passport for 30 years but only recently obtained a PPS number.”