Man (21) held as pensioner found dead in pool of blood
GARDAÍ have arrested a young man after a pensioner was found dead with horrific head injuries in a pool of blood in his Cork city home.
The 21-year-old suspect, who was known to victim Joe O’Callaghan (66), voluntarily presented himself at Togher garda station just hours after the discovery of the body.
The suspect, from Cork, was being questioned under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. He can be questioned for a period of 24 hours before gardaí must either charge or release him.
The body of Mr O’Callaghan, a father of three, originally from Grange in Cork, was discovered by his shocked wife Angeline in his bungalow off Galway’s Lane in Douglas at 8am yesterday.
Nothing appeared to have been taken from the property.
Gardaí are expected to launch a murder investigation after a post-mortem examination is completed today at Cork University Hospital (CUH) by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster.
Mr O’Callaghan’s sister, Sheila Thornhill, appealed at the scene for people to support the Garda investigation.
“I have never seen him [her brother] be so good as he has been in the last couple of days,” she said.
“I saw him on Saturday morning, and he was in great form. I am not sure really [what happened].
“We are all shocked. Joe has three grown-up children and was always happy in himself.”
Ms Thornhill urged people to support gardaí in their quest to find her brother’s killer.
“Find whoever did it to him,” she pleaded.
Ms Thornhill was supported at the scene by her brother, George.
Supported
Mr O’Callaghan’s wife, who had moved to Ireland from Zimbabwe, was supported in Galway’s Lane by members of the local African community.
She had arrived home from working a night shift at 8am yesterday to discover Mr O’Callaghan lying in a pool of blood in the hallway with apparent head injuries.
Part of the front door was broken, and there were indications that it had been kicked in.
Blood spatters were found in two rooms of Mr O’Callaghan’s bungalow.
After the grim discovery, Angeline ran to the house of neighbour John O’Sullivan to raise the alarm.
One Garda source said it appeared that the pensioner’s head injuries were consistent with a severe and prolonged assault.
It is not believed a weapon was used.
A neighbour, who asked to be unnamed, said he heard shouts of “open the f***ing door” around midnight but then presumed a loud bang was Mr O’Callaghan slamming an internal door and ending the matter.
Another neighbour reported seeing a young man acting suspiciously on Sunday night.
Gardaí and paramedics were alerted at 8am but the pensioner was pronounced dead at the scene.
Forensic
The house was cordoned off pending a detailed forensic examination by members of the Garda Technical Bureau. A Garda dog unit was also deployed to Galway’s Lane.
The house is located just metres from the site of Douglas GAA grounds.
The area has around a dozen residents, almost all of whom are elderly.
Several admitted they were “very frightened” by what had happened in their quiet cul de sac.
Mr O’Callaghan was said by one neighbour to have “lived on the fringes” for many years.
He was regularly seen out socialising in Douglas pubs.
Neighbours had complained to gardaí a number of years ago over late-night parties being staged by Mr O’Callaghan at his home.
A neighbour said he heard shouts of ‘open the f ***ing door’ but then presumed a bang was Mr O’Callaghan slamming an internal door and ending the matter