Micholaj Wilk murder inquiry: Gardaí seize vehicles after searches

Gardaí investigating the murder of a Polish man killed by a machete wielding gang at his home in Co Cork have seized a number of vehicles and searched several premises.

This follows an extensive trawl of CCTV footage and an examination of phone and email records since the killing at Bridge House, Maglin in Ballincollig on June 10th last.

Micholaj Wilk (35) died after suffering a number of slash and stab wounds when he was attacked by a masked gang at his home.

Garda sources said they still had not established a motive for the killing of Mr Wilk who had his own gardening business and was not known to gardaí.

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On Thursday morning, a team of up to 30 officers, who have been working in the case since the weekend of Mr Wilk’s killing, carried out searches at six houses and one business premises in Cork city and the surrounding suburbs .

Gardaí searched houses in Ballincollig, Ballinhassig, Grenagh and Blackpool as well as a car sales business which it is understood came to light in the course of tracing a BMW 3 series car which they believe was used by Mr Wilk's killers and was found burnt out in Waterfall later on June 10th.

No arrests have been made but it is understood that the nine vehicles, including two vans, seized at the seven premises have been sent by garda for technical examination and one vehicle has been sent to Dublin under seal for examination by Garda Technical experts at the Phoenix Park.

CCTV footage

Garda sources say the vehicles were identified from an examination of CCTV footage from premises along possible escape routes used by the killers after abandoning the BMW 3 series car at Inniskenny in Waterfall where the most obvious route would have been via the Waterfall Road back to the city.

Gardaí refused to be drawn on what they found during a search of the Waterfall Road last Saturday other than to say that a number of items were found and forensic testing of them was continuing while stressing that the items may not be linked to Mr Wilk’s killers.

Similarly, gardaí refused to be drawn on suggestions that Mr Wilk’s killers may have included both Irish and non-nationals and further declined to comment on media reports that some of those involved in the killing may have left the country.

It is understood that some of Thursday’s searches also stemmed from an examination of Mr Wilk’s phone and email records which in turn led gardaí to look at the phone records of some of the people that he had been in contact with in the weeks and months prior to his murder.

Mr Wilk's widow Elzbieta is making preparations, along with Mr Wilk's father who has arrived in Cork, to repatriate her husband's body to his native Poland for burial at his home some 60km from Poznan where they grew up together.

Ms Wilk, who was discharged from Cork University Hospital last Friday after undergoing surgery to save three fingers which were almost severed as she sought to protect her husband from his attackers, is being cared along with the couple's two young children by friends in the Polish community in Cork.