Father charged with daughter's abduction
A 56-year-old man appeared in court in Northern Ireland today charged with abducting his five-year-old daughter.
Lecturer Gerard McCullough, of John Street, Belfast, was accused of taking daughter Shannon O’Brien from the home of his ex-wife on April 10 and taking her out of the UK.
He was further charged with assaulting his ex-wife Francine O’Brien on April 10 and on April 25 last year.
It is understood McCullough took his daughter to the across the border to the South of Ireland.
He was arrested yesterday at a court in Belfast where he was about to apply for a residency order which would have given him custody of Shannon.
His solicitor told Lisburn magistrates court in County Antrim that an arrangement had previously been made for McCullough to voluntarily go to police yesterday with legal representation to discuss the case.
The residency application did not proceed and the child was not returned to her mother but placed in the care of social services, the court heard.
RUC Detective Sergeant Gillian Fowler, who charged McCullough, told the court that following his arrest he had expressed concerns about the child’s welfare.
He was remanded in custody until May 1.
His solicitor said an application for bail would be made in the Northern Ireland High Court as soon as possible.
