Gardai treat Sligo death as suspicious

Gardaí in Sligo are investigating the "suspicious" death of a man whose body was discovered beside a car-park in the town yesterday morning.

While investigating gardaí are keeping an open mind pending the results of a post-mortem, it is understood the man, a native of Sligo, suffered head injuries.

Shattered glass was also discovered at the scene.

Garda sources said that while it was possible that the man's injuries had been the result of a fall, the officer heading the investigation, Insp James Kearins, confirmed that the circumstances were suspicious.

The dead man was named locally as Mr Paul Waters, who lived with his elderly mother in Avondale, Sligo. He was in his early 40s.

Mr Waters was a former soldier who had served in Lebanon but had left the Army some years ago. The body was discovered by a corporation cleaner at about 8.30 a.m. yesterday.

The man was lying in a private courtyard off the Stephen Street car-park, in the centre of Sligo.

The car-park is in an area which has been extensively developed in recent years with a number of restaurants and shops lining the river .

However, locals pointed out that the car-park is frequented by groups of men who drink on park benches.

A bouquet of flowers was placed at the scene yesterday.

Mr Waters was a well known figure in Sligo town and came from a well-known business family.