heaven NAKED MAN FOUND BEATEN TO DEATH
Arrest made after 56-yr-old Dermot stripped during horrific assault
PROBE Gardai in Swords, North Dublin, yesterday A MAN was severely beaten, stripped and left to die on the steps of a college yesterday. The victim, named locally as Dermot Byrne, 56, was discovered in Swords, North Dublin. A source said: “He was found naked.” Last night a 29-year-old man was arrested as part of the probe.
GARDAI were last night investigating why a man who died after a vicious assault was found naked on college steps.
It is understood two locals who had been socialising at the Carnegie Court Hotel in Swords, North Dublin, had a row which later spilled out on to the street after 2am yesterday. One man was held back by two doormen while the other walked towards the centre of the town. Later a man, named locally as 56-year-old Dermot Byrne, was assaulted and savagely beaten by at least one attacker and was found stripped. Gardai discovered him at the back steps of Fingal Community College on North Street at around 3.05am. It is believed Mr Byrne’s injuries were so severe, his fingerprints were used to identify him. He was treated by paramedics but was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later. Last night sources said detectives were scouring CCTV footage from the hotel and Applegreen service station in the hope it will lead to a breakthrough. A source said: “They’re going through the cameras and the CCTV. There was a row there earlier. The victim was found naked. His phone was found at the scene but nothing else.” The body of the dead man remained at the scene until after 9am when it was removed for postmortem. Officers from the Garda Technical Bureau carried out an examination of the scene much of which remained sealed off until last night. Dublin Fingal TD Darragh O’brien said his thoughts are with the victim’s family. He added: “There’s a lot of concern because unfortunately this isn’t the first type of incident in Swords. “People are extremely shocked and in the same area there’s been at least two assaults in the last five years in that particular area and both of them very serious and another which led to a fatality. “So it’s unfortunate these vicious attacks are becoming much more commonplace. “I’m born and reared here in North Dublin and it’s a very good place to live but I think a lot of it is being fuelled by it being late at night, after pubs have closed. We have a very serious issue with resourcing for our gardai. We’re down well over 20% and we’ve lost one in five gardai in the North Dublin area and in Swords. “Gardai are doing their level best but how they can prevent and respond to these things without the required manpower is a major issue.” Meanwhile, Labour Councillor Duncan Smith said locals were shocked by the tragedy. He said: “People in the town are saddened this morning. “It’s the second violent attack in that area in the last couple of months. “There was another attack on the same road in the Carnegie Court Apartments recently. “It’s very worrying for these attacks to be happening late at night and in the early hours of the morning and with such a tragic end my thoughts are with the family of the victim.” Last night a 29-year-old man was arrested by gardai as part of the investigation.
It’s the second attack in the area in the last few months CLLR DUNCAN SMITH DUBLIN YESTERDAY