Gardaí in Cork have begun an investigation following the death of an 84-year-old woman who died in hospital two days after a reported assault at her home.
The woman was brought to Cork University Hospital by ambulance on Tuesday after she complained of feeling unwell following an incident at her home in Carrigaline on Sunday morning.
It is understood that doctors at the hospital found that the woman had suffered a serious brain injury, and she died in the hospital shortly before 4pm on Tuesday.
The woman’s death follows an incident on Sunday evening when her daughter was assaulted in the kitchen of their home at Garrydhu Drive in Carrigaline.
The middle-aged woman went to a neighbour’s house to get help to deal with the person who had assaulted her and she returned to discover her elderly mother in a disoriented state in the house.
The elderly woman, who is originally from an African country, reported that she had been pushed and dragged down the stairs and had been injured.
Gardaí were called and a 38-year-old man, who was known to both women, was taken to Cork University Hospital where he was committed under mental health legislation.
The man was later discharged from hospital.
He was subsequently arrested on Tuesday afternoon and brought to Togher Garda station for questioning about the alleged assault on the elderly woman.
Gardaí cordoned off the house and technical examiners were due to begin an examination of the house for any forensic evidence that might assist them in their investigation.
Gardaí have requested the services of the State Pathologist’s office and sources say the postmortem will be critical to establishing whether the woman’s death was connected to the assault.
