GARDAÍ HOPE to prepare a file for the DPP on the murder of a 69-year-old father of five in Cork after they are given permission by doctors to interview a man in his 20s currently receiving psychiatric treatment.
Gardaí say they are following a definite line of inquiry into the killing of retired accountant John Hyland but may have to wait several weeks for permission from doctors to speak to a young man currently at Cork University Hospital.
The tragedy came to light at about 1pm on Saturday when Mr Hyland’s wife Maeve returned from overnight baby-sitting for her daughter to the family home on St Francis’s Avenue off College Road and found her husband’s body in an upstairs bedroom.
The area was cordoned off and a forensic and technical examination was carried out. A knife was recovered which officers believe was used in the killing.
There was no sign of a break-in and gardaí have appealed to anyone who may have seen a young man leaving the house sometime between 11.15pm on Friday and 1pm on Saturday to contact them.
The young man, who walked from the house on St Francis’s Avenue some 20 miles or so to Kinsale, contacted his mother on Saturday afternoon.
He was collected from Kinsale by family members, accompanied by gardaí, and brought to hospital.
State pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy carried out a postmortem examination yesterday on Mr Hyland’s body and although gardaí are not releasing the results, The Irish Times understands she found he died from multiple stab wounds.
One garda described Mr Hyland’s killing as a terrible tragedy for the family and officers said they were carrying out the investigation with the greatest possible sensitivity.
