Gardaí search for man with bandaged hand as woman killed in Limerick

 • 1h ago

Gardaí investigating the violent death of a young woman in Limerick were last night looking to trace a man seen entering a shop with a bandaged hand and then washed his hands in the store.

Officers interviewed staff at the shop and removed a number of items from the premises. It is close to the scene of the fatal assault on the woman, who was aged in her 20s.

The man is believed to have put his hand back in the makeshift bandage after washing himself.

Gardaí were anxious to speak to him to rule him in or out of their investigations.

A garda spokesman said: “An Garda Síochana does not comment on specifics of ongoing investigations.”

The woman’s body was discovered inside an apartment block on Dock Road, just off O’Curry Street, about 1.30pm.

Gardaí said the woman died in a “fatal assault”, 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 examination.

Detectives do not believe she had been deceased for a long period of time and understand she was assaulted a short time before being discovered.

Gardaí are awaiting the results of the post-mortem but sources said they were progressing the inquiry.

Appealing for witnesses, a garda spokesman asked anyone with camera footage from the Dock Road and O’Curry street areas of Limerick city from 1pm to 2pm to contact investigating gardaí at Henry Street Garda Station on 061 212 400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.

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

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 praying for her.

“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 co-operate with An Garda Síochána,” Fr Enright added.

A 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 has 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.

“There is a lot of cameras around the area so there could be some information available (to gardaí), so I would ask the public to co-operate fully to make sure there is a successful prosecution for this horrific crime.”

The area is frequented by a sizeable 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,” he said. ​