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A “cloud of worry and fear” is hanging over Sligo following two recent suspicious deaths and another violent attack, local TD Frank Feighan has said.
“The community is stunned,” the Fine Gael deputy for Sligo-Leitrim told Newstalk Breakfast.
Mr Feighan said the last few days had brought huge concern to the area and that people are trying to come to terms with what had happened.
“The level of violence is absolutely shocking. It is something that Sligo is not used to.”
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A suspect aged in his early 20s was arrested on Wednesday morning after the body of a man in his 50s was found in an apartment in the town late on Tuesday. The man was named as Michael Snee (59), who lived on Connaughton Road.
It followed the discovery on Monday evening of the body of Aidan Moffitt (41) in his home in Cartron, just 2km outside the town. Both men suffered similar wounds although gardaí say the wounds inflicted on the second victim were not as extreme. An earlier attack in the area left a man with serious eye injuries
‘Shocking events’
Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar on Wednesday expressed concern at the developments in the town.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said she had spoken to the Garda Commissioner “about the shocking events” in Sligo.
“An Garda Síochána will investigate these appalling crimes and ensure justice is done,” she said. “They will support the people of Sligo and I urge anyone with information to report it to gardaí.
“I would also like to express my deepest sympathies to the friends and family of Aidan Moffitt, and to the friends and family of the man who was also killed last night. They are in our thoughts today.”
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland, Fine Gael community activist Blaine Gaffney, a friend of Mr Moffitt, said it was very hard to believe what had happened. He said he wanted to pay tribute to Mr Moffitt, who he described as a “very intelligent, very honest and caring person”.
‘Positive person’
“He was an all round good guy. Very dignified, what has happened to him wasn’t dignified,” he said. “I wanted to speak about Aidan as the positive person he was and not what happened to him.”
Mr Moffitt had been a great political strategist and a strong advocate for the policies of Fine Gael and could always forecast election results, Mr Gaffney said.
The two friends spoke by telephone recently when Mr Moffitt was on holiday in Spain. Mr Gaffney said he became aware of the death when he saw his name on social media. He had initially been concerned when he saw photographs of the crime scene and recognised the street where Mr Moffitt lived.
A lot of people in the town of Sligo were now scared, added Mr Gaffney and he hoped there would be developments in the next 24 hours.
“The whole place is in a state of shock,” he added.