Gardaí have launched a murder inquiry into the death of a 30-year-old man who died in Kerry General Hospital in the early hours of yesterday.
The man, who locals said had spent most of his life in England, was named locally as James Brazier of Deerpark Crescent, Killarney. He had lived in the area for about a year. The semi-detached cream-coloured bungalow where he was found with stab wounds in the early hours of yesterday morning was cordoned off front and back by gardaí along with a large area of the nearby public green.
Locals reported seeing gardaí visit the house on Saturday afternoon.
Gardaí confirmed they had visited the house but said this was not related to the incident which took place later.
Pinewood Estate, a local authority housing estate near the busy Tesco shopping centre at Park Road, is regarded as quiet and settled. Built in the 1970s, many of the houses are privately owned.
According to gardaí they rarely have reason to visit the area. Supt Michael Maher of Killarney Garda station, who is leading the investigation, said that gardaí were following a number of general lines of inquiry.
At 2.30am following a call to Killarney Garda station, gardaí attended the house on Pinewood estate. On arrival they found a seriously injured 30-year-old man and he was removed to Kerry General Hospital where he died at 4.55am.Supt Maher said they were treating the death as suspicious. An incident room had been established at Killarney Garda station and an investigation team deployed to carry out detailed forensic examination of the scene.
Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster was carrying out a postmortem examination at the hospital yesterday and gardaí were awaiting results before deciding on a full murder investigation.
Supt Maher appealed to any member of the public who saw anything to contact Killarney gardaí on 064 31222.
Neighbours appeared not to have heard any fracas. However, it is understood a party had taken place at the house. A small number of people including at least one other man and a woman were in the house at the time the incident took place, it is understood.
The dead man's former partner Amanda Thompson (33) died in her home in Deerpark Crescent, a nearby housing estate, in early February in tragic circumstances. The separated mother left two children aged 12 and 10.