Crime & Law

Gardaí investigating killing of Ian Baitson arrest man on suspicion of murder

Man is being detained at a Garda station in Co Cork

An undated family handout photo of Ian Baitson, who has died following an assault in Co Cork. Photograph: Family handout/PA Wire

Fiachra Gallagher
Sat Mar 23 2024 - 00:16

Gardaí investigating the killing of 33-year-old Ian Baitson in Co Cork have arrested a man on suspicion of murder.

The man, in his 30s, was arrested in Co Waterford and was taken by gardaí to a station in Co Cork on Friday evening under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.

Mr Baitson died on Tuesday afternoon at Cork University Hospital (CUH) from injuries sustained when he was attacked in the car park of Eurospar shop on Newtown Road, Co Cork last week. It is believed his attacker used a samurai sword in the assault.

Gardaí formally upgraded their investigation into an attack on Mr Baitson into a murder inquiry on Wednesday following the receipt of postmortem results.

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Gardaí said in a statement on Friday evening that “no further information” was available on the arrest.

It is believed that Mr Baitson’s attacker was known to him, and may have had contact with him prior to the attack, possibly to arrange to meet at the car park where the attack took place.

Mr Baitson suffered significant blood loss when a vein in his leg was severed in the attack. Paramedics and an emergency medical consultant worked on him for about 40 minutes at the scene trying to stabilise him before he was brought to CUH.

He failed to regain consciousness after undergoing emergency surgery at the hospital. He had remained on a ventilator until his family made the decision on Tuesday to switch off the life support system.

Fiachra Gallagher

Fiachra Gallagher

Fiachra Gallagher is an Irish Times journalist

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