Gardaí suspect a 20-year-old who died after a street assault in west Dublin in the early hours of Friday was stabbed after a man from the area believed a van was being broken into. The dead man has been named locally as Jordan Pakenham, from Tallaght.
The deceased was treated by paramedics at the scene, on the Drumcairn Estate in Tallaght, before being taken by ambulance to hospital. However, efforts to save his life were not successful and Mr Pakenham was pronounced dead.
Gardaí are working on a definite line of inquiry and on Friday evening were continuing to question a man in his mid 30s, who was detained on Friday morning after the attack at the junction of Drumcairn Avenue and Drumcairn Parade. All the resources of a murder investigation have been applied to the case.
Though the investigation into the fatal assault was still in its early stages, gardaí believe the victim sustained stab injuries in an attack apparently motivated by the belief a vehicle was being broken into on the street. In a statement, the Garda said it was “continuing to investigate all the circumstances” surrounding the death of the victim.
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“Just before 4am, gardaí and emergency services received a report and attended the scene of a male with a serious injury. The man (20s) was conveyed from the scene to Tallaght University Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased,” the statement said.
The Garda added the coroner had been notified and the Office of the State Pathologist was due to carry out a postmortem on the victim’s remains. The scene had also been preserved for examination by the members of the Garda Technical Bureau.
A senior investigating officer has been appointed to lead the inquiry, and an incident room has been established at Tallaght Garda Station, with a Garda liaison officer assigned to the dead man’s family.
The man being questioned was being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act at a Garda station in Dublin, which allows for him to be questioned for up to 24 hours without charge.
However, gardaí were still appealing for witnesses to come forward and wanted to speak to anyone who was in the Drumcairn Estate between 3am and 4am on Friday.
“Additionally, individuals with video recordings, including motorists with dash cams, from the area within the timeframe are asked to provide footage to investigating gardaí,” the appeal for witnesses stated.
Online tributes were paid to Mr Pakenham, with one young woman he knew him describing him as a “sweet, sweet kind-hearted gentle soul” adding “we all knew and loved you”.
Another person extended their sympathies to the dead man’s family, saying his death was “disgusting”. “The pain I’m feeling, I can’t imagine what they’re going through. He had the nicest character, it stood out from a mile away. Heartbreaking.”
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