GARDAI are preparing a file on what appears to have been the inadvertent killing of a north Dublin man who intervened in a domestic dispute between a man and woman.
The man who died, Mr Vincent Harford (35), of Sutton, was stabbed in the throat during the dispute outside a house at Ratoath Avenue, Finglas.
It is thought that a fight had broken out in the house, where Mr Harford was staying while on a brief visit from London where he worked as a builder. He was due to return to London today.
Local people said they heard shouting at about 3 a.m. They said the house had been occupied for the past few months by a man and woman and two children. It is believed Mr Harford had been friendly with the couple and had been staying at the house for two or three days.
The cause of the dispute was not clear last night but gardai said they believed that drink had been taken. Mr Harford was taken to the Mater Hospital, where he was declared dead.
Another man, who was taken to the hospital with minor wounds, was questioned last night by detectives.
A file is being prepared and will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, an officer said. A senior Garda source said there was only one suspect and that a "definite line of inquiry" was being pursued.
It is believed the weapon used was a kitchen knife which was found at the scene. There was no question of any serious criminal involvement in the incident.
The killing prompted statements from both Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats. The PD spokeswoman on justice, Ms Liz O'Donnell, said: "This tragedy, where a young man paid the heaviest price of all for intervening in an argument, shows that crime is still a very real factor on the streets of Dublin.
She said the Government's claims that crime was withering away were "empty rhetoric" and her party advocated a "zero tolerance approach which they "fully intend to see through".
"Every day people are being mugged, robbed and beaten up on the streets of Dublin," she said. "If the gardai succeed in finding such petty criminals they face long delays before bringing the accused before the courts. If convicted, there just are not enough prison spaces to hold convicted offenders for the duration of their sentences."
Fianna Fail's spokesman, Mr Eoin Ryan, criticised the Government for not having prohibited the use of certain knives, a policy which was introduced by Fianna Fail last year under the catch phrase "Bin the Blade". "The Minister for Justice has continued to sit on her hands in relation to this campaign," he said.