A MAN in his 20s was being questioned last night in connection with the death of another man following an assault in Limerick at the weekend.
Charlie Molloy (36), Maigue Way, John Carew Park, Southill, Limerick, died just yards from his home on Saturday night after he was assaulted with a blunt weapon which gardaí believe may have been a hammer.
He was a convicted killer who served two jail sentences arising from the deaths of a young child and a 60-year-old man.
The man being questioned about the fatal attack, which detectives do not believe was connected to a gangland feud, presented himself to Roxboro Garda station yesterday afternoon.
State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy travelled to Limerick yesterday to carry out a postmortem on the body which was discovered at 10pm on Saturday at Maigue Way, John Carew Park.
Items including a blunt instrument which gardaí believe may have been the weapon were recovered at the scene yesterday and have been sent for examination. It is understood the victim suffered a number of blows to his head.
Mr Molloy was not married and had been living with his mother in Southill since his release from prison last year.
He served five years in jail for the serious assault of a Co Tipperary butcher, Peter O'Sullivan, who died on March 14th, 2001, following injuries sustained in an incident in December 2000.
Mr Molloy had initially been charged with manslaughter, but he was later convicted at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court of assaulting Mr O'Sullivan, causing serious harm.
Before that, in 1989, when he was 17, Mr Molloy was jailed for seven years for the manslaughter of Southill child Nathalie Moore (9), who died after she was struck by a stolen car he was driving.
Garda sources said Mr Molloy had no known associations with any of Limerick's criminal gangs and they do not believe his death was related to a feud. One source said he had been living as a "recluse" since his latest release from jail last year and had not come to the notice of the gardaí.
Speaking at a media briefing at Roxboro Garda station yesterday, Supt Frank O'Brien said gardaí were pleased with how the investigation was progressing.
"We're looking for any witnesses to this incident which took place in a public area and in a very well-lit area to contact us. We would also like to speak to anybody who may have seen the victim that evening, in a bid to build up a profile of his last movements," he said.
Anyone with information should contact the gardaí at Roxboro on (061) 214340.