Gardai are looking to trace a man seen entering a shop with a bandaged hand before washing his hands in the store, as part of their investigations into the violent death of a young woman in Limerick earlier.
Gardai have interviewed staff at the shop and removed a number of items from the premises, which is situated close to the scene of the fatal assault on the woman in her 20s.
The man, understood to be a foreign national, entered the shop with one of his hands wrapped in a makeshift bandage before washing his hands and leaving the premises again with his hand still wrapped up.
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Gardai were anxious to speak to the man in order to be able to rule him in or out of their enquiries.
When asked for an official response about this, a garda spokesman replied: “An Garda Siochana does not comment on specifics of onlooking investigations.”
The woman’s body was discovered inside an apartment block on Dock Road, just off O’Curry Street, around 1.30pm.
Gardai said the Romanian woman died in a “fatal assault” around 1.30pm, but they did not disclose specific details of her injuries.
A garda forensic unit conducted a technical examination of the scene and investigators called in the office of the State Pathologist to perform a post mortem.
Appealing for witnesses a garda spokesman asked that “anyone who has camera footage from the Dock Road and O’Curry street areas of Limerick City from 1:00pm – 2:00pm” would contact investigating gardai at Henry Street Garda Station on 061 212 400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station”.
Prayers were being said for the victim at the Redemptorist church, located a few streets away.
Fr Seamus Enright, Rector of the religious order in Limerick said: “We are horrified that such violence has come to our own community.”
“We remember the young woman in our prayers and all those who are grieving for her, and we will be pray for her especially at mass this evening and tomorrow,” said Fr Enright.
“A death like this reminds us of how precious life is and how we must do everything we possibly can to protect and enhance life - and I’d appeal to anybody with information to cooperate with An Garda Siochana,” Fr Enright added.
A reliable source said there were about 16 apartments inside the building where the body was found, occupied by a mixture of both Irish and migrant single professionals and families.
Limerick Fianna Fáil TD, Willie O’Dea said: “It’s an unspeakable tragedy, death by violence is always a terrible tragedy, but it’s definitely worse when the person is young, in their 20s, with their whole life in front of them.”
“Limerick ha come an awful long way from the bad old days of gang crime, and constant stabbings and assaults and murders, and we want to see Limerick continue to go forward,” said Deputy O’Dea.
“There is a lot of cameras around the area so there could be some information available (to Gardai), so I would ask the public to cooperate fully to make sure there is a successful prosecution for this horrific crime,” Mr O’Dea added.
The area is frequented by a sizable migrant community.
Local Muslim councillor Abul Kalam Azad Talukder appealed to the community “to be careful”.
“If you see anything suspect just call to your local garda station, don't hesitate, the garda are always there helpful to us, and be united as a community,” said Cllr Talukder.
“People in the area are very shocked. In the last five to ten years this arena has improved a lot, if you were talking about 10-15 years ago it was different, but today there are a lot of young families, professional people, residing here.”
“It is very very shocking for us to hear this. The gardai are doing their job properly and hopefully they will find the (perpetrator) shortly.”
Chairman of Fianna Fáil, Limerick City, Alec Morrissey, said: “I want to pass on my sympathies with he family of the bereaved woman, its a shocking event in the city and we thought we were over all these type of incidents.”
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