A man facing extradition to Germany over an aggravated robbery he allegedly committed nearly 30 years ago has claimed: “My life has been ruined."
Liam Patrick Daly (50), who we tracked down in Co Wexford, was this week ordered by the High Court in Dublin to be extradited to Germany - where he’s wanted over allegedly trying to strike a man with a wooden chair leg and commit robbery in a Berlin takeaway in 1994.
But approached by us following the ruling this week, Mr Daly said he can’t fight extradition anymore - and claimed that his life had been ruined over the whole ordeal.
“I can’t (fight it anymore). I’ve been fighting it,” he told us. My life has been ruined over this. I lost my life in England and everything.”
On Monday Mr Daly’s Defence barrister Willie Hughes BL argued that it would be “unjust and oppressive” to extradite him for what they termed a “stupid act” by a “very drunk man in a takeaway in 1994,” adding that he was incapable of actually carrying out the alleged offence.
However Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo ruled that Daly, who had been living in Birmingham for years, must be surrendered to the German police - but granted him until July to get his affairs in order here.
The judge said that Daly, who did not wish to speak to us any further this week, had been “a major contributor to the delay” in bringing him before the courts to face the charge.
Daly had objected to the extradition due to the length of time that had passed.
It is alleged that on February 18, 1994, Daly went into a snack bar at Uhlandstrasse in Berlin armed with a wooden chair leg and tried to strike a man and steal money.
The alleged robbery failed however as the man was able to defend himself and took the chair leg off his assailant.
Daly was arrested and questioned at the time and during his detention is alleged to have made admissions -saying that he had a mask on his head and a chair leg in his hand but only wanted to scare the other man.
He allegedly said that he drank beer beforehand and wanted money. He was detained for three days and then released after giving his fiancée’s address.
However in the High Court case in Dublin on Monday, Mr Justice Naidoo said that Daly couldn’t have not believed that the German authorities were not going to pursue a prosecution against him.
