Neighbours say dead pensioner's throat had been cut

Neighbours who found the body of an 83-year-old man in a sheltered housing unit in Dublin yesterday said that his throat had been cut. Gardaí are treating the death as suspicious but said last night that they were awaiting the results of a postmortem carried out by Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis.

Detectives said that they had not yet positively identified the man. However, he was named locally as Vincent Plunkett.

He was found by his home help at his apartment at Robinson's Court, off Cork Street, at around midday yesterday.

A neighbour, Edward Hernon, who lives upstairs from the dead man, told The Irish Times that he had rushed to the scene when he heard the home help screaming, "He is dead, his throat has been cut."

Mr Hernon said that he found the man lying on the floor of the apartment. He was in his underpants and covered with a duvet. He said that the man's throat had been cut from ear to ear.

Mr Hernon said that there appeared to be no sign of the apartment having been disturbed, or of a break-in having taken place there.

Det Supt PJ Browne said last night that gardaí had been called to the scene at noon yesterday.

He said there was an understanding that the man may have been last seen late on Sunday evening.

"We are appealing to anybody who was in the area, or anybody who has information, that knows anybody who would have visited the deceased at 27 Robinson's Court, if they could contact us at Kevin Street Garda station."

"An incident room has been set up there and we're treating the death as suspicious.

"We may upgrade it later on after the postmortem," said Det Supt Browne.

Neighbours said the dead man was from the Athlone area and that he generally kept to himself. Local people said he drove a new silver van, which he used for a courier or delivery service.

Other residents said that the dead man was a fluent Irish speaker.

The sheltered accommodation complex at Robinson Court is operated by Dublin City Council for persons over the age of 60.

There are 41 apartments and three bungalows in the complex. Locals said that 99 per cent of residents were pensioners.

Residents said that they had been pressing the council to have security gates installed.