Gardaí 'hopeful' as inquiry into Galway death continues

Gardaí in Galway are following a definite line of inquiry in relation to the identity of the man whose body was found in a freezer…

Gardaí in Galway are following a definite line of inquiry in relation to the identity of the man whose body was found in a freezer near the city centre earlier this week.

However, the Garda investigation team will not comment on reports that the man may have suffered physical abuse before he was killed.

It is understood that the man had sustained head injuries and his hands were tied behind his back.

A full postmortem examination of the body cannot be carried out in University College Hospital, Galway until Monday at the earliest, as the body had to be allowed to thaw at below normal temperatures.

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Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis has carried out a preliminary examination of the scene where the man was found, in a cold storage unit behind a fish shop in Henry Street.

The body was discovered on Wednesday afternoon, and gardaí were contacted immediately. The Henry Street and St John's Avenue area has been sealed off, and extensively examined by the Garda Technical Bureau.

Gardaí have been conducting extensive house-to-house inquiries in the quiet and closely- knit neighbourhood, known as "the West", and are understood to have been asking about the movements of one individual.

The individual has been living in the city and has not been seen for some days. They have also appealed for information on missing persons, as there is no matching missing person on file in Galway.

National missing persons records are being checked, and investigating garda Supt Tom Curley of Mill Street Garda station said he was "hopeful that progress was being made" in this regard.

Some 50 officers are involved in the investigation, and Supt Curley has said that members of the public can assist with information, however trivial it may seem.

He has asked people to contact the incident room at Mill Street Garda station (091-538070) and says all such contacts will be treated confidentially.

He has already released a description of the man, who is described as fair-skinned, aged 30-40, about 1.8m (6ft) tall and of stocky build. He was clean-shaven, with brown hair going grey, and was wearing a brown leather jacket, grey jumper, blue jeans and black shoes.

Supt Curley said that the team was keeping an open mind on the circumstances of his death.