A MAN ACCUSED of sexual assault and false imprisonment of a woman, who told gardai she was held on the ground and bitten on her face and lips in south Dublin, has been refused bail.

Seif Waleed Al Hin Dawi, 22, believed to be from Jordan, was initially charged with assault causing harm to the woman who suffered facial injuries on the night of May 23 last.

He had been denied bail in the District Court and the causing harm attack allegation was later dropped. However, it was replaced with sexual assault and false imprisonment charges.

He brought a fresh application for bail before Mr Justice Paul Burns at the High Court in Cloverhill. He said the accused had the presumption of innocence, but was a flight risk, and he refused bail.

He noted the evidence of Detective Garda Dermot Haugh who opposed the defendant’s attempt to released with conditions pending trial.

Haugh told Gillian Finane BL, for the State, that the accused and the woman did not know each other, the man had no ties to the State, and there were fears he would flee the jurisdiction.

He alleged the woman, in her forties, reported that a man assaulted her after she got off a Luas tram at about 11.20 pm.

It was claimed she told the gardai that she “felt someone was following her.” She continued walking to her housing estate and contacted her husband because “she felt uneasy about a male following her on foot.”

The court heard she phone her husband and “glanced back to see she was definitely followed.”

It was claimed that he ran toward her, pushed her to the ground. She landed on her back and screamed, and the male allegedly attempted to bite her face and mouth, and attempted to force her legs apart.

According to the detective, the woman told gardai the man screamed in a foreign language. and she attempted to defend herself by hitting and him with her phone while she was still on an live call with her husband.

The garda told the court the woman kicked him and succeeded in getting away and ran home.

She dialled 999 and immediately got into their car with her husband, and she allegedly kept the male in sight before he was arrested.

The garda said the woman sustained a cut on her lip and was treated at St Vincent’s hospital for her facial injuries.

It was alleged he had blood on his mouth and lips.

The court heard claims the accused originally maintained he was from Syria and had come to Ireland two weeks to apply for internation protection. However, gardai established he was from Jordan and arrived two weeks beforehand after flying from London to Belfast and entering the state undocumented. He had been staying in hostel in Dundrum.

It was alleged a man who claimed to be the defendant’s brother told gardai they had disposed of their passports.

The court heard Mr Hin Dawi claimed to gardai that the woman assaulted him first.

Defence counsel Aisling Ginger-Quinn put it to the garda that the accused would abide by strict terms, but the detective said that would not alleviate his concerns.