Three individuals were apprehended on Thursday regarding the mortal knife assault on Kevin Walsh which transpired in west Dublin in January. Emergency medical staff treating Mr. Walsh for severe injuries alerted the police, who arrived at a flat in the Shackleton estate, Lucan at around 3am on the 7th of January. The 35-year-old was transported to Blanchardstown’s Connolly Hospital with expectations of survival following surgical intervention for his injuries, however, his condition quickly worsened and he unfortunately succumbed to his injuries that very night. It is conjectured that Mr. Walsh was assaulted within an apartment on the Shackleton estate, but the Garda have not dismissed the likelihood that the attack occurred elsewhere.
Detectives speculate that Mr. Walsh had taken cab transportation from Allentown, Tallaght to the Shackleton region during the small hours of the Sunday. The possibility that he was stabbed prior to his arrival has not been eliminated.
A property located in west Dublin was cordoned off and subjected to forensic scrutiny. Mr. Walsh, a notorious figure to the Garda, had a criminal record including prison time for man-slaughter during his adolescent years.
On Thursday evening, a representative from the Garda declared that ongoing investigations into the violent incident were being led by detectives in Crumlin. The speaker revealed that two females in their forties and one male in his thirties had been apprehended as part of the inquiry. Currently, they are being held at various Garda stations in the Dublin area, under the statues of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.
He added that information pertinent to the investigation was being conveyed to the bereaved family by a Garda family liaison officer. With the investigation still ongoing, Garda have invited members of the public to come forward with any relevant information in relation to the incident.
In a darker chapter of his life, Mr Walsh, then a resident at Allenton Green, Tallaght, was implicated in the fatal assault of British national, James Burke, at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, Clondalkin in September 2005. The assault occurred when they were both inebriated on canned alcohol in a field. Walsh was only a 16-year-old at the time.
Mr Walsh was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and given an eight-year sentence at St Patrick’s Establishment, although the last five years were set aside. His criminal record included over 70 former offences, encompassing serious physical attack, automobile theft, explosive possession, burglary, dealing with illicit goods, and violations of highway legislation.