Man released without charge in relation to Kanturk death

Gardaí are to prepare a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) after releasing without charge a man arrested for questioning in connection with a fatal assault in Co Cork last month.

Detectives arrested the man, who is in his late 20s, in Kanturk at around 9am on Thursday morning for questioning about the assault on Finbar Lehane outside a pub in the town on October 24th.

The man was arrested under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act which allows gardaí detain suspects for up to 24 hours and he was brought to Mallow Garda Station for questioning.

He was questioned about the assault on Mr Lehane until late on Thursday night and was then released without charge. A file will now be prepared on the matter for the DPP, a garda spokesman said.

Mr Lehane (65) from Glen South in Banteer died at Cork University Hospital on November 7th, some two weeks after being assaulted outside the pub in Kanturk town centre.

Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster subsequently carried out a post-mortem on the body of Mr Lehane who suffered serious head injuries in the assault outside the pub.

Gardaí have not released the results of Dr Bolster’s post-mortem for operational reasons, but it is understood that Mr Lehane suffered blunt force trauma to the head in the assault.

It is understood that Mr Lehane received a blow to the head from his assailant and fell back, hitting his head off the pavement and sustaining serious head injuries which rendered him unconscious.

Garda technical experts carried out a forensic examination of the scene. They have also taken statements from a number of eye witnesses and have studied CCTV footage of the incident.

It is understood that gardaí have also spoken to a number of people who were in the pub earlier in the evening where Mr Lehane was accosted a number of times by a man from the Kanturk area.