Gardaí question man (25) after woman killed in Cork knife attack

Gardaí in Cork are continuing to question a young man about the killing of a woman and a serious assault on her husband at a home in the Mayfield area of the city on Monday morning.

The man was arrested following a knife attack on the 60-year-old woman and her 68-year-old husband at their home on Murmont Avenue. They have been named locally at Marion and Bill Horgan.

The attack happened at about 8am in the kitchen area of the couple’s two storey semi-detached house in the mature settled residential area of Mayfield.

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The scene of the knife attack at Murmont Avenue, Cork city. Photograph: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision

It is understood that Mr Horgan, who suffered serious stab wounds to the head area, managed to flee from the house and make his way to a neighbour’s house to raise the alarm.

Neighbours contacted the emergency services before rushing out on the roadway where they detained the 25-year-old suspect until gardaí arrived at the scene a short time later.

The man was arrested under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act which allows for detention for up to 24 hours before he has to be charged or released from Garda custody.

The man – who knew both the victims – was taken to nearby Mayfield Garda station where detectives were this afternoon continuing to question him about the assaults.

Ms Horgan was pronounced dead at the scene by a local doctor. Gardaí cordoned off the house and requested the services of the State Pathologist’s Office.

Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster carried out a preliminary examination of the dead woman’s body at the scene before her body was removed .

Dr Bolster is carrying out a postmortem at Cork University Hospital on the dead woman whom it is understood suffered a number of stab wounds.

Meanwhile Mr Horgan was rushed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital where he was treated for what are understood to be serious but non-life threatening injuries.

Garda technical experts carried out a preliminary examination of the scene of the attack this morning but are due to begin an extensive forensic examination of the house this afternoon.

So far gardaí have not recovered any knife or weapon which might have been used in the attack but gardaí are hopeful a more detailed search will yield results.

Detectives have also begun door-to-door inquiries in the estate where neighbours woke up this morning to hear the news of the tragedy at the Horgan family home.

“I just heard it on the news – it’s shocking – you don’t expect to wake up to something like this on your doorstep – it’s desperately sad,” said one man out walking his dog.