Tests on body of man found dead

Gardaí in Cork were last night awaiting the results of a postmortem examination on the body of an elderly man found dead in his home in suspicious circumstances.

Gardaí launched the investigation after the body of Gussie Hornibrook (74) was found in a downstairs room of his local authority terraced house at Templeacre Avenue in Gurranabraher on Cork's northside.

Mr Hornibrook's body was found at about lunchtime yesterday by his brother, Bobby, who lives in nearby Churchfield. Although gardaí were yesterday remaining tight-lipped about what had given rise to their concerns about Mr Hornibrook's death, it is understood that initial reports suggested that one or possibly two of his hands were tied with a ligature.

However, there was no sign of forced entry to the house but neighbours yesterday told The Irish Times that Mr Hornibrook, who was single and lived alone, never locked the front door to the house where he had lived for over 30 years. He lived without any TV, radio or electrical appliances with electricity in just one room of the building which had fallen into disrepair in recent times.

The body was removed from the house at about 9pm to Cork University Hospital where a postmortem examination will be carried out.

A neighbour, Etta Nugent, said, "he was harmless and wouldn't hurt a soul".