A mystery man who has been charged with allegedly using passports in the names of two dead babies has been positively identified and has an FBI arrest record from 1970.
Cork District Court previously heard that Interpol was liaising with their 195 member countries in a bid to help gardai identify the man. The elderly man, who appeared in court today by video link, is charged with providing false information to obtain passports in the names of two infants born in the 1950’s who died within months of their birth.
Det Garda Padraig Hanley, of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, today told the court that following “extensive enquiries” the man has been identified. He also has been found to have an FBI record dating to 1970. No details were furnished of the record or the name of the defendant.
Det Garda Hanley asked that the man be remanded in custody for an additional week to enable gardai to continue their investigation.
Judge Joanne Carroll asked about the level of co operation being shown by the man in custody. Det Garda Hanley said that co operation wasn’t an issue in the case.
“There is not an issue with the level of co operation. He (the defendant) has taken a particular stance.”
Det Garda Hanley previously said that when questioned the man said he was living in Ireland and needed a passport to leave the country. However, he refused to assist officers in any way.
Frank Buttimer, solicitor for the defendant, said that his client had been informed of developments in the case. He asked that his client be remanded in custody for two weeks rather than one to allow for further enquiries and for DPP directions in the case.
Judge Carroll remanded the man in custody to appear in court on the 7th of November next. The man is set to be interviewed in prison this afternoon (Tuesday) by Det Garda Hanley.
Det Garda Hanley previously said that a number of addresses in Ireland may or may not be linked with the man. Gardai have been in touch with the RSA, the Residential Tenancies Board, the ESB and the VHI. A team has been set up to carry out enquiries and to liaise with Interpol.
Meanwhile, the man, who speaks with an American accent, was arrested on September 15th at the passport office in South Mall in Cork. He was charged in the name of Philip Frank Morris of no fixed address, with a date of birth in the 1950’s.
He was charged with two offences relating to allegedly providing false or misleading information in order to obtain a passport.
Det Garda Hanley last month told the court that the man allegedly used the name of a baby, Philip Frank Morris, who was born in December 1952 but subsequently died to apply for a passport in Cork.Det Garda Hanley said that when questioned the man said he was residing in Ireland and needed the passport to leave the country. Dt Sgt Hanley said the man did not co operate with officers in any way following his arrest. He said the man held an Irish passport for three decades but only recently obtained a PPS number.
He told Judge Olann Kelleher that they had spoken to the brother of the late Philip Morris who died at the age of four months in 1953.
The man was subsequently charged with an additional offence. Det Garda Hanley said that the man made no reply when he was charged with providing information or documents on September 11th last at the passport office in South Mall which were false or misleading.
The court heard that the man allegedly had a passport in the name of Geoffrey Warbrook. However, Det Garda Hanley said gardai have spoken to relatives of Mr Warbrook who confirmed that he died as a young baby in the early 1950’s.
“Both of those two people (Philip Morris and Geoffrey Warbook) died. We have interviewed siblings of both of those people who died in 1952 and 1953. They died within months of their birth.
We are satisfied that he is not Philip Morris or Geoffrey Warbrook (the two names on passports allegedly seized from the man).
