A 29-YEAR-OLD man has been remanded in custody on “serious allegations” of robbery of a Ukrainian girl in Dublin.

Leonard Bucuresteanu, of no fixed address in Dublin, was charged with robbing the young girl of a phone valued at €100 in Castleknock on 28 February.

The offence is contrary to section 14 of the Theft and Fraud Act. He appeared at Dublin District Court.

Garda Ian McElroy told Judge Coal Gibbons that the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed trial on indictment in the circuit court, which has broader sentencing powers.

Mr Bucuresteany, a Romanian national, who listened to the proceedings with the help of an interpreter, has not yet indicated a plea.

He did not seek bail and was remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court next week.

The State must complete and serve a book of evidence before he can be sent forward for trial.

Defence solicitor Kate McGhee told the court her client faced “serious allegations”, and the complainant was a juvenile girl from Ukraine. She added that he may apply for bail when the case resumes.

Legal aid was granted.

No evidence about the incident, and the girl, who cannot be identified because she is a minor, did not have to attend the brief hearing.