A 27-year-old mother of two has been found dead in a Midleton, Co Cork apartment, leading to the arrest of a 29-year-old male. The man is presently held at the Midleton Garda station in accordance with Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act as investigations proceed.
The deceased woman, a resident of the apartment in John Barry House, Midleton, Co Cork, was married with children. Suspicion surrounds the nature of her injury, which will be clarified by a postmortem examination to be conducted by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster, at Cork University Hospital.
The apartment, the site of the woman’s death, is scheduled for a forensic examination. According to the police, the emergency services responded to a call on Friday afternoon, informing them about a woman sustaining injuries at the apartment. Despite immediate medical attention, she could not survive and was declared dead shortly thereafter.
A section of the property was simultaneously ablaze, prompting the arrival of firefighters who managed to extinguish the fire by 5pm and stayed back to survey the situation.
The police intend to launch door-to-door inquiries to find out whether local residents witnessed any unusual activities on Friday. Meanwhile, the local Sinn Féin TD, Pat Buckley, expressed grief over the incident which he says has left the community in shock and sorrow.
He offered condolences for the family of the deceased woman, especially her two children. He stated, “I only recognised her. I am thinking of her two children. Their lives destroyed. Life is very unpredictable. It has impacted the town. My phone has been swamped with calls. People cannot grasp it. We extend our heartfelt sympathy and prayers to the family of the woman for the days to come.”
An Garda Síochána has announced that the location in question has been secured for close inspection by the Garda Technical Bureau. Furthermore, both the local medical examiner and the State Pathologist’s Office have been informed. A specialised room for incident management has been set up at Midleton Garda Station, and a high-ranking officer has been tasked with overseeing the investigation. Additionally, a liaison officer has been allocated to provide support to the affected family.
An appeal for witnesses has been made by Gardaí, particularly for those possessing video or dashcam footage from Connolly Street or Main Street in Midleton on the previous Friday afternoon, urging them to come forward.
Midleton Garda Station encourages anyone with useful information to reach out to them on 021-462 1550, or alternatively on the confidential contact line: 1800 666 111.