Micholaj Wilk inquest: father of two attacked by machete

A 35-year-old father of two who was attacked by a machete-wielding gang at his home in Co Cork during the summer died from blood loss as well as a serious brain injury, an inquest into his death has been told.

Micholaj Wilk, a Polish national who had been living in Ireland for nine years, was killed when he was attacked by the gang when they broke into the house he shared with his wife, Elzbeta and their two young children at Maglin, near Balliincollig on June 10th last.

Mr Wilk was taken to Cork University Hospital suffering from serious slash and hacking wounds to his arms and limbs but he died soon afterwards. Gardaí began a murder inquiry after they received the postmortem results.

At Cork City Coroner’s Court on Thursday, Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margot Bolster said her postmortem found Wilk died from shock and haemorrhage due to multiple blows from sharp weapons in association with a traumatic brain injury.

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Det Insp Vincent O’Sullivan applied for an adjournment in the case under Section 25 of the Coroner’s Act until April 4th next year for mention as the Garda investigation into the killing of Wilk, who worked as a gardener and handyman, is continuing.

"This is a live investigation and several avenues of inquiry are being currently being investigated," Det Insp O'Sullivan told Cork City Coroner, Philip Comyn who granted the adjournment application and listed the matter for mention on April 4th, 2019.

Gardaí have remained tight-lipped about their investigation but privately several have expressed confidence that they will solve the killing which experienced officers said was one of the most violent they had seen in Cork.

Officers refused to be drawn on a motive for the killing but say they have found no evidence to suggest Wilk was involved in criminal activity. It is understood their focus is on a foreign criminal gang from Eastern Europe with local Irish support.

Gardaí have yet to make any arrests in the case. They carried out searches at six houses in Ballincollig, Ballinhassig, Grenagh and Blackpool as well as at a car sales business where it is believed Wilk's killers bought a BMW found on fire in nearby Waterfall on the night of the killing.

It is understood nine vehicles, including two vans, were seized at the premises searched, have been sent by gardaí for technical examination.

It is understood some of searches and seizures of vehicles stemmed from an examination of Wilk’s phone records and email records as gardaí worked to find out whom he was in contact with in the days and weeks prior to his brutal murder.

One Garda source told The Irish Times there had been a significant number of door-to-door inquiries and CCTV searches carried out while a large number of people have been interviewed as witnesses while gardaí have also had considerable engagement with foreign police forces in relation to the killing.

Wilk's widow, Elzbieta returned to Poland with the couple's two children later in June, settling down at her home village some 60kms from Poznan where she and Wilk were childhood sweethearts. No family members were present in Cork today's inquest.