Man (33) dies after falling from apartment

A 33-YEAR-OLD man has died after falling from the balcony of fifth floor apartment in north Dublin.

The Lithuanian national was fatally injured when he hit the roof of a car parked in the grounds below the top floor apartment, at the Hamptons complex at Santry Cross, near the main junction at Ballymun, shortly after 7am yesterday.

He was taken to the Mater hospital in Dublin where he died a short time later.

His 30-year-old wife, also Lithuanian, was seriously injured and brought from the couple’s apartment to the Mater hospital as well, for treatment.

It is understood another Lithuanian woman and the couple’s two children, aged two and three, were in the apartment at the time. Gardaí said a domestic incident had taken place.

The silver Golf car with a dented roof and shattered front windscreen and side window remained at the scene for most of yesterday, which was sealed off as was the couple’s apartment, while the Garda technical bureau carried out a detailed examination.

A woman living on the ground floor heard the bang as the man landed on the car and she alerted the complex’s security guards and emergency services.

Local residents in the complex of privately-owned apartments at the new town centre, were reluctant to talk about the incident, which is being investigated by gardaí at Ballymun station.

Gardaí have interviewed residents of neighbouring apartments in the complex as part of their investigation.

The State pathologist’s office was also contacted, and a post-mortem examination was due to begin last night. Results of the postmortem are expected later today.

Local Sinn Féin Councillor Dessie Ellis described the incident as “an awful tragedy for the young man and his family. They are living in a foreign country and isolated,” he said.

Cllr Ellis described Santry Cross as a “fairly quiet new area and there’s a fair number of non-nationals living there who are privately renting”. It was quite surprising to have any incidents in the area, he said.

Ballymun gardaí have appealed for anyone with information about the incident to contact them at 01 666 4400 or the Garda confidential line at 1800 666 111.