A MAN arrested in connection with the murder of a woman in Dublin on Wednesday night is likely to appear before the courts to face criminal charges in relation to the killing.
The 43-year-old man was arrested at accommodation for homeless people in Ranelagh, Dublin, when gardaí found the 28-year-old victim stabbed in his flat just after 7pm on Wednesday.
The woman, Rebecca Hoban, York Street, Dublin, had been stabbed three times in the back in the flat in a converted Georgian house on Ranelagh Road. She was taken by ambulance to St Vincent's hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short time later.
The man in custody last night raised the alarm when he phoned for an ambulance after the stabbing. Gardaí were then alerted and went to the scene immediately.
They arrested the suspect and found a knife at the scene that they believe to be the murder weapon. The suspect was taken to Donnybrook Garda station where he was questioned under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. He was due to be released or charged at 7am this morning.
Garda sources last night said a court appearance this morning was likely.
The man was housed by Dublin City Council in an independent living apartment for homeless people in Ranelagh.
The property where the killing took place is privately owned but is part-rented to the council for the purposes of housing homeless people in self-contained units.
It is understood Ms Hoban did not live with the suspect but was well-known to him and had stayed at his flat a number of times.
Gardaí believe the deceased was stabbed during a row at the flat. It is believed both the victim and the suspect had been drinking alcohol before the murder.
A postmortem examination was carried out on the dead woman's remains at the City Morgue, Dublin 1, yesterday.
The scene of the murder was sealed off from Wednesday evening and underwent a forensic examination yesterday by members of the Garda Technical Bureau.