GARDAI: JOE KNEW HIS ATTACKER
GARDAI investigating the death of a pensioner believe he was well-known to his attacker.
Detectives launched a murder probe after a postmortem found the victim had suffered devastating head injuries in a brutal assault.
Joe O’callaghan was found dead in his home at Galway’s Lane in Douglas, Co Cork, by his wife Angeline.
One theory being explored by gardai is the motive for the murder may have been a personal dispute.
The 66-year-old was found partially clothed lying in a pool of blood on Monday. There were signs the door to his home had been kicked in.
A neighbour is understood to have said he heard a man shouting “open the f ***** g door” at around 1am on the day of the incident.
A source revealed: “Forensics will be important in this as they have discovered a lot of evidence of a struggle inside the house. There is also a lot of CCTV footage in the area and this places that man on the street Joe O’callaghan at that time. It is early days but gardai are confident they will get a charge in the case.”
The postmortem was carried out at Cork University Hospital as gardai spoke to the arrested man. The victim’s sister Sheila Thornhill said her brother had been unwell in recent times but was in good spirits. She told the Irish Mirror: “We are all in shock. He has three grown-up children. He has Sister Sheila Thornhill six brothers. Joe was a bit of everything [in work]. He did a lot of things. He was grand. He was always happy in himself.
“His wife came home from work and she pushed in the door and there he was. He is sick all the time but he was getting around.”
No funeral details have been released. Gardai last night released without charge the man in his 20s arrested in relation to the incident.
He had been detained
Garda Station.
A file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. at Togher