Cobh sword attack: Gardaí trying to identify attacker who left man (32) fighting for his life

Gardaí are continuing to harvest and study CCTV footage in an attempt to identify and trace a lone assailant who left a 32-year-old man fighting for his life. The man was seriously injured in a sword attack in Co Cork over the weekend.

Gardaí have also begun examining the mobile phone of the injured man as they believe he may have arranged to meet his attacker in the car park of Euro Spar on Newtown Road in Cobh at about 8pm on Friday night, where the meeting suddenly turned violent.

It is understood the injured man approached a man in a car in the car park. The occupant exited the car with a Samurai sword and began swinging the weapon at the man, striking him below the knee and causing him to collapse.

The assailant then left the scene in the car, it is understood, leaving the injured man on the ground bleeding profusely. While passersby came to his aid and raised the alarm, he is believed to have lost a lot of blood before paramedics arrived.

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Paramedics and an emergency medical consultant spent more than 40 minutes trying to stabilise the man at the scene before he was removed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery for life-threatening injuries before being put on a ventilator.

The man, who is a young father and from Cobh town, remains in a critical condition at CUH where his family is maintaining a vigil by his bedside. Gardaí have described it as “an absolutely horrific attack”.

Gardaí said they were keeping an open mind about a motive for the attack and they have asked anyone who can assist them in their investigation to contact Cobh Garda station on 021 4908530, where they have set up an incident room, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666111 or any Garda station.

They are particularly anxious to speak to anyone who was in the Newtown Road area at 7.45pm-8.15pm and may have camera footage including dashcam footage.