GARDAÍ HAVE begun a murder inquiry into the death of a woman in Midleton in east Cork after a postmortem revealed that she had died as a result of a blow to the head.
The body of the woman, named locally as Catherine Smart (57), a mother of three, was found by gardaí when they were called to her home at Bailick Court, a quarter of a mile from the centre of town, at about 9.45am yesterday.
Gardaí were alerted when they received a phone call from a man. On arriving at the house, they found the partially clothed body of Ms Smart lying on the floor of the diningroom-cum kitchen in the single-storey terraced house.
It is understood that Ms Smart had suffered serious head injuries and was lying in a large pool of blood near the fridge.
Gardaí immediately cordoned off the house and preserved the scene.
An investigation team under Supt Flor Horan of Midleton Garda station said it was treating the death as suspicious and requested the services of the State Pathologist’s Office and the Garda Technical Bureau in Dublin.
A team of forensic experts from the bureau arrived before lunch hour and began a technical examination of the scene, while local detectives and gardaí began door-to-door inquiries in the estate.
State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy arrived at the house shortly after lunch hour and carried out a preliminary examination before Ms Smart’s body was removed to Cork University Hospital for a postmortem examination yesterday afternoon.
While gardaí last night declined for operational reasons to specify the exact cause of Ms Smart's death , The Irish Timeshas learned that Prof Cassidy's postmortem established that she had died as a result of at least one blow to the back of the head.
Supt Horan told The Irish Timesthat there was no sign of a forced entry to the house, while he also confirmed that gardaí believed that she was fatally assaulted sometime between 5am and 9.45am yesterday.
Gardaí were able to confirm that Ms Smart was alive at 5am, as they were called to that house at that time after she was unable to gain entry to her home, which is the middle of three houses in a small terrace at the front of the estate.
Ms Smart, who was separated, was a native of Ballyhooley in north Cork but had moved to the east Cork town of Midleton more than 30 years ago.
She had remained in the town after her former husband and three children, now all adults, moved to Wales.
In recent years, Ms Smart, who was well known around Midleton, had been involved in a relationship with a man originally from Northern Ireland.
He was last night being comforted by friends in Cork city as Ms Smart’s house remained sealed off by gardaí.