Gardaí are to prepare a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) after releasing without charge a 55-year-old man arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of a father-of-three in Cork.
Officers arrested the man at the scene, a house in Hollyville, Hollyhill, where Mark O’Connell (38) suffered a number of stab wounds on Sunday morning.
It is understood Mr O’Connell was confronted by a man who was babysitting at the house and a row broke out which led to Mr O’Connell being stabbed in the driveway.
A neighbour raised the alarm and the emergency services attended to Mr O’Connell, who was still conscious when they arrived. He was rushed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital but was later pronounced dead. A postmortem examination by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster confirmed he died a violent death.
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Gardaí cordoned off the scene and Garda technical experts carried out a forensic examination. It is understood they recovered a number of knives from the property.
Gardaí also harvested CCTV footage from the area which helped in establishing the sequence of events.
The suspect was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984, which allows gardaí hold people for 24 hours. He was released without charge shortly before 8pm on Monday.
Officers at Gurranabraher Garda station, Co Cork, said that they will now prepare a full investigation file and send it to the DPP for consideration.
A family liaison officer was appointed to support the family of Mr O’Connell, who was from Fairfield Green in Farranree, Co Cork, and worked with Northside Community Enterprises in Cork.
