Gardaí are poised to begin a murder investigation following the death of a 33-year-old man who was seriously injured when attacked with a sword in Cobh in east Cork at the weekend.
Father of two Ian Baitson, from Cobh, died on Tuesday afternoon at Cork University Hospital (CUH) where he had been on a ventilator following the sword attack in the Eurospar car park on Newtown Road just before 9pm on Friday night.
Mr Baitson suffered significant blood loss when a vein in his leg was severed in the attack. Paramedics and an emergency medical consultant worked to try to stabilise him before he was brought to CUH.
He failed to regain consciousness after emergency surgery at the hospital.
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Gardaí were able to identify a suspect for the sword attack after studying CCTV from the car park area.
It is believed Mr Baitson approached another man in a car in the car park. The other man got out of the car armed with a samurai sword which he swung at Mr Baitson, missing him with his first attempt before hitting him on the leg with his second swipe.
Mr Baitson was struck below his knee and collapsed on the ground as the man returned to his car and left the scene. A number of people in the area, including some foreign students, came to the assistance of the seriously injured man.
An incident room was set up in Cobh Garda station to co-ordinate the investigation.
Gardaí have refused to comment on a motive for the attack, but believe Mr Baitson knew his attacker and may have been in contact with him and arranged to meet him at the car park.
Gardaí carried out two searches at separate locations over the weekend and on Tuesday afternoon a large force of gardaí supported by members of the Armed Support Unit carried out a third search at a house belonging to a relative of the suspect but found no trace of him there.
A pathologist is due to carry out a postmortem on Mr Baitson’s body on Wednesday. It is expected to confirm he died as a result of injuries sustained in the sword attack.
Investigators have appealed for witnesses to contact them. They are particularly anxious to speak to anyone with dash cam footage who was in the area at the time and the surrounding streets between 8.15pm and 9.15pm.
They have advised anyone who has any information to contact them at Cobh Garda station on 021 4908530, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.
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