Gardaí keen to speak to trio who aided man after Skibbereen assault

Gardaí investigating a fatal assault on an Englishman in west Cork have renewed their appeal for anyone who may have assisted the man after he was found with injuries in a car park near his home to contact them.

John Ustic (51) was found with a number of injuries in a public car park at High Street in Skibbereen at around 8pm on Sunday after he had spent the afternoon drinking with others in the town and near Lough Hyne.

Detectives believe that Mr Ustic was assisted from the car park by two men and a woman, all in their 30s and 20s, who brought him across the road to his rented house on High Street, where he was found dead the next morning by his partner.

Gardaí have already spoken to a number of witnesses who came upon Mr Ustic in the car park but they are particularly anxious to speak to the three people who came to Mr Ustic’s assistance after he was found injured in the car park.

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Supt Ger O'Mahony told The Irish Times: "We have had a very good response so far from the public to our appeal but we are asking anyone who hasn't contacted us so far who may have any information that can assist us to do so at Skibbereen Garda station on 028-23088," he said.

Trawling

Detectives have beeen trawling through CCTV footage from High Street and elsewhere in the Skibbereen in the hope it may shed some light on Mr Ustic's movements after he left his home on Sunday afternoon to buy some drink in Lidl before meeting friends.

Gardaí say that the CCTV footage may prove crucial along with forensic evidence gathered in the house where Mr Ustic was pronounced dead by paramedics after his partner was unable to rouse him when she found him in the living room on Monday morning.

The death was initially being treated as suspicious but a postmortem by State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy confirmed he died from injuries sustained in an assault. Gardaí then upgraded their inquiry to a murder investigation.

Gardaí are also awaiting the results of toxicology tests on a number of blood samples taken by Prof Cassidy which they hope will also assist in establishing what exactly happened to Mr Ustic, who suffered a number of injuries to his head and body.

A native of Cornwall where he has a daughter, Mr Ustic had been living in a rented house on High Street with his partner for several months. He had previously lived in Bantry and Drimoleague and in Co Tipperary after moving to Ireland from the UK around 12 years ago.