The husband of 28-year-old Baiba Saulite, who was shot dead at her home in Swords last Sunday, was yesterday refused bail and must remain in jail.
Hassan Hassan (38) had applied for bail at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in order to look after his two young children in the wake of their mother's death.
However, his application was refused by Judge Michael White over concerns that Hassan would interfere with a witness and that there was a genuine risk he would not appear for his sentence hearing.
Hassan, of Forestfield Road, Swords, pleaded guilty earlier this month to two counts of abducting his children in December 2004 and was remanded in custody until a sentence date next month.
Det Insp Walter O'Sullivan, who is overseeing the investigation into Ms Saulite's death, told the court he had privileged information which led him to believe that, if released, Hassan would commit serious offences including murder, assault, intimidation and interference with witnesses.
Det Insp O'Sullivan said he had "real fears" on the basis of the information and added: "I do not say it lightly." He added that Ms Saulite's solicitor John Hennessy feared for his life as a result of threats made to him regarding earlier legal proceedings involving Hassan and his wife.
Another officer, Sgt Liam Hughes, told Judge White that Mr Hennessy's home had been the subject of an arson attack in February 2006, but no charges have been brought in relation to that offence.
He told prosecuting counsel Dominic McGinn BL that Ms Saulite had contacted gardaí last Tuesday week and was in fear for the safety of her solicitor and for gardaí involved in the abduction case. Sgt Hughes said Mr Hennessy had been receiving threats "for quite some time" and was in "honest fear for his life".
But defending counsel Patricia Moran SC said Hassan, originally from Lebanon, was a concerned father of two very young children and was an Irish citizen who had lived here since the 1980s.
She said her client's children had been taken into "the care of strangers" and that Hassan had joint custody of them with his now deceased wife. She said he was anxious to see his children and to attend his wife's funeral and would be willing to do so under escort.
Ms Moran said Ms Saulite had been visiting Hassan in Mountjoy Prison twice a week with the children and that an amicable relationship had existed between them.
Judge White said the court had no doubt that Mr Hennessy was the "subject of a threat and has genuine concerns for his safety".
Hassan was jailed for four years in March for his role in a plan to export stolen vehicles to the Middle East. He will be sentenced next month for unlawfully bringing his children to Syria via Lebanon.