Gardaí allowed to continue questioning Cork shooting suspect

Gardaí in Cork on Monday night obtained court permission to allow them to continue questioning a 29-year-old man about the shooting of a young woman in a house in the city at the weekend.

Detectives had arrested the man and a 22-year-old woman in the early hours of Sunday morning for questioning about the gun attack in which 21-year- old Ciara Sheehan was seriously injured.

Ms Sheehan, who is from Knocknaheeny, was visiting her boyfriend in Hollywood Estate in Hollyhill on Cork's northside when a shot was fired through a downstairs window, hitting her in the neck.

Ms Sheehan’s boyfriend and two friends drove her to Cork University Hospital where she underwent emergency surgery to remove the bullet, which had lodged in her neck.

According to a Garda source, Ms Sheehan was extremely lucky to survive as the bullet – believed to have been fired from a handgun – only narrowly missed her jugular vein.

“This young woman was very fortunate not to have died – she was badly wounded, but it could easily have been even worse for her and we could be dealing with a fatality here,” said a Garda source.

Gardaí from Gurranabraher were quickly on the scene and arrested a 29-year-old man a short distance away in Shanakiel while they also arrested a 22-year-old woman in a nearby car.

Offences Against the State Act

The pair were arrested under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, which allows gardaí to detain suspects for offences involving the use of firearms for up to five days.

The man was taken to Gurranebraher Garda station for questioning, while the woman was taken to the Bridewell Garda station for questioning.

Gardaí last night released the woman without charge and will now prepare a file on her for the DPP, while they obtained an extension of time in court to allow them to detain the man for another 24 hours.

The extension came after gardaí confirmed they had recovered an automatic pistol on waste ground in Shanakiel which they believed was the weapon used in the attack.

A Garda spokesman said the gun has been sent to the ballistics section of the Garda Technical Bureau in Dublin to see if it matches the bullet removed from Ms Sheehan's neck. Gardaí are also hoping the tests will reveal whether the gun was used in any other crimes.

Anyone who can assist gardaí should contact investigators at Gurranabraher Garda station, in confidence on 021-4946200 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666111.