GARDAÍ IN Cork last night arrested a 38-year-old man for questioning in connection with the murder of a 62-year-old taxi driver in Cork city on Wednesday morning.
The suspect was arrested in the Passage West area outside Cork city at about 7.30pm after he contacted gardaí. He was brought to Mayfield Garda station for questioning about the murder of separated father of two, Mick Healy, whose body was found at his flat at Rocksprings Terrace in St Luke’s on Wednesday.
The arrest of the man, who was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, which allows gardaí detain suspects for up to 24 hours, came as gardaí appealed for the public’s help in trying to trace Mr Healy’s last movements.
Supt Tom Myers of Mayfield Garda station said that gardaí had an unconfirmed sighting of Mr Healy in Patrick Street at 8.45pm on Saturday night and appealed to anyone who may have seen him or his black Toyota Avensis taxi, Reg No 03 C 4073 to get in touch with them.
Gardaí believe, from a post-mortem examination by State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy, that Mr Healy, who had lived at Rocksprings Terrace, St Luke’s for 10 years, was killed sometime between Saturday night and Monday morning and that he died as a result of head injuries.
It is understood Mr Healy was found lying in a pool of blood by his brother Dermot when he called to check on him at his top-floor flat at about 9.30am on Wednesday after he became concerned when he hadn’t heard from Mr Healy.
Citing operational reasons, gardaí would only confirm that Mr Healy had suffered head injuries but it is understood that the injuries were consistent with him being struck with a blunt implement and it appears that he was struck a number of times.
Members of the Garda Technical Bureau from Dublin were yesterday continuing with a forensic examination of the scene and it is understood that the absence of any blood stains on the stairs are inclining investigating gardaí to the view that Mr Healy was assaulted in his flat.
It is believed that Mr Healy was security-conscious and that new locks had been installed on the flat door.
Given the absence of any signs of forced entry, this is prompting gardaí to examine whether Mr Healy may have known, or at least admitted his killer to the flat.
Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have any information in connection with Mr Healy’s death or may have met the victim in the past seven days or so to contact them in strictest confidence on 021-4558519.
