Suspect in savage murder of man (74) was out on bail
THE chief suspect in the brutal killing of a pensioner over the weekend is on bail over a violent crime carried out in the same area, it has emerged.
Anthony Timms was beaten to death in his home in Rowlagh Green, Clondalkin, Dublin, at around 8.30pm on Friday.
The elderly victim had been out socialising in a nearby pub in the hours before his death, celebrating his 74th birthday.
The Irish Independent has learned that a chief suspect identified by gardaí is currently on bail for a serious crime carried out close to where the murder happened.
The suspect, a man in his 40s who was well known to Mr Timms, is currently facing charges over a horrific crime that took place in the Clondalkin area in 2016.
He also has previous convictions for burglary and public order offences and on at least one occasion was charged for producing a weapon while on a drinking binge.
Screams
Gardaí were alerted shortly before 9pm after receiving reports of a domestic dispute at Mr Timms’s home on Rowlagh Green.
When they arrived, officers discovered the victim with serious head injuries and he was rushed to hospital. Mr Timms was pronounced dead a short time later. A suspect was quickly identified by gardaí.
They are treating the incident as a domestic dispute and believe that an argument took place between the suspect and the victim moments before the fatal assault.
On Saturday evening, a 47-year-old man was arrested in the Lucan area after being spotted on his own.
He was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act and brought to Lucan garda station, where he could be quizzed for up to 24 hours.
Following the questioning period, gardaí were due to decide if the suspect should be charged or released.
Despite being considered a violent criminal, the man does not have any known links to organised crime. Gardaí were last night attempting to establish the motive behind the elderly man’s killing.
A post-mortem examination was due to be completed yesterday evening, the results of which will determine the course of the investigation.
However, gardaí are satisfied that Mr Timms died a violent death and suspect that he was beaten and kicked to death.
No weapons were found at the scene and gardaí were alerted when neighbours reported hearing screams coming from the property.
A woman known to the victim was in the house at the time of the vicious assault.
Witnessed
It is understood that she witnessed part of the attack and alerted neighbours, who contacted the emergency services.
Locals said that the incident has left the victim’s family devastated. Relatives of Mr Timms visited the scene on Friday night.
A Garda spokesman said: “Gardaí wish to appeal to witnesses, or to anyone who can assist with the investigation, to contact the Incident Room at Ronanstown Garda Station on 01 666 7700, the Garda Confidential Telephone Line (1800 666 111) or any Garda station.”