BELFAST MOTHER-OF-ONE MARY Ward had been in a “tumultuous relationship” with her former partner and died as a result of a “laceration to her neck” at her home, a court has heard.

Ahmed Abdirahman, 31, who was arrested in Dublin and charged with murdering the young woman on 25 September at her house on Melrose Street in south Belfast, was refused bail today.

He was located in the city on 9 October and was remanded in custody two days later.

However, the accused, originally from Somalia, brought an application before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs at the High Court in Cloverhill, Dublin, to be released with rigorous conditions.

Today, the judge noted that he had left the jurisdiction where the event allegedly occurred and had “no ties” in the Republic.

The hearing was told the accused turned up at Dublin’s Mater Hospital on 26 September, a day after Ms Ward was last seen alive, with arm and leg injuries, saying he had fallen on broken glass.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) commenced a murder probe after the lifeless body of Mary Ward, 22, was discovered on 1 October in her home.

The PSNI and An Garda Síochána conducted a joint investigation, and detectives attached to the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) arrested Abdirahman.

At his first District Court hearing two days later, the accused, who had used an address at Kinlay House, Dame St, Dublin 2, was remanded into prison custody. Detective Sergeant James King had said Abdirahman’s reply to the charge was “Not guilty”.

Today, in the High Court, Detective Sergeant King objected to the bail, citing flight risk concerns. He told Keith Branagan BL, for the State, that the accused travelled to this jurisdiction by bus late on 25 or morning of 26 September and arrived in Dublin.

It was established the young mother died from “a laceration of the neck”, and a “bloodied broken piece of glass” was found at the crime scene.

The court heard Abdirahman turned up at the hospital in Dublin to be treated for wounds to his arm and left leg, and a piece of glass was removed. He allegedly told medical staff that he fell on broken glass the night before

He was arrested after using a Revolut card in a Dublin city-centre shop; the court heard his account was linked to his phone allegedly found at Ms Ward’s home.

Messages downloaded by the PSNI showed they had a “tumultuous” relationship, but Ms Ward’s phone was not found. Fingerprint, DNA, mobile phone and CCTV evidence had been obtained.

The court was told the accused originally came to the Republic in 2019 and had residency status due to a family reunification process with a half-sibling who has citizenship in Ireland.

He had no prior convictions. Defence counsel Oisín Clarke, instructed by solicitor Wayne Kenny, pleaded that rigorous bail conditions could alleviate the garda and court’s concerns.

The barrister submitted that an address was possibly available and his client would not have the means to leave the jurisdiction and go somewhere other than Northern Ireland. The court heard another person paid for his bus ticket to Dublin.

The accused sat silently at the side of the court and was not required to give evidence.

In her ruling, Ms Justice Biggs said she was satisfied that on the balance of probabilities, Mr Abdirahman would seek to evade justice if granted bail, and she said, “there are no conditions whatsoever that will allay my fear in that regard”.

Under the Criminal Law (Jurisdiction) Act 1976, a person can be charged and tried in the Republic for offences allegedly committed in Northern Ireland.

Earlier, the PSNI had issued a statement: “An Garda Síochána will now lead the joint investigation into the death of Mary Ward with continued support from the PSNI.”

An Garda Síochána also said it would continue to work closely with the Police Service of Northern Ireland on this investigation.

Abdirahman is also due before the District Court on 15 November and awaits the DPP’s directions, and a book of evidence must be served before a return-for-trial order is granted.