A MAN found dead in a Waterford city centre apartment suffered head injuries in an incident involving at least one other person, gardaí investigating the death believe.
Joe O’Brien (60) was yesterday described by a neighbour as “a lovely man” who “wouldn’t hurt a fly” after he was fatally injured in an apartment in Waterford city on Monday night.
Two people – a 47-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman – were last night being held by gardaí for questioning after they were arrested close to the scene of Mr O’Brien’s death.
A postmortem was carried out on Mr O’Brien’s body by Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis after the remains were removed from the area where he died, an apartment block off William Street.
The deceased lived nearby at a social housing scheme in Spring Garden Alley, close to Waterford City Hall, and it is understood he was separated from his wife and has a daughter in the area.
A former taxi driver, he recently spent some time in hospital but was back at home in the last few weeks. He moved to Spring Garden Alley, where he lived alone, about a year ago having previously lived at another social housing development in the city.
“He was the most inoffensive man; he never caused any trouble,” a woman who lived close to him said yesterday. “He’s a lovely man. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. If I was going out and he was passing that way, he’d always say hello. A quiet man, he was a dote.”
It is believed Mr O’Brien visited a ground floor apartment at the Scotch Marsh House development off Scotch Quay and William Street on Monday night.
A 999 call was made to Waterford Garda station at about 9.50pm, when a caller said an incident had occurred in the apartment.
Gardaí and ambulance crew arrived at the scene, and found Mr O’Brien in an “unresponsive” state with head injuries. A doctor from the Caredoc after-hours service pronounced Mr O’Brien dead at the scene.
The area was preserved overnight and throughout yesterday morning. Members of the Garda Technical Bureau arrived just after noon to carry out a forensic examination of the apartment and its surrounds.
Dr Curtis performed a preliminary autopsy before the body was removed. He later carried out a full autopsy at Waterford Regional Hospital.
Supt Chris Delaney appealed to any member of the public with information to contact the local Garda station on 051-305300.
A number of people living in the area, which has a significant number of apartment developments overlooking the river Suir, said there had been a stabbing incident nearby some weeks ago in which three people were injured.
A man who has lived nearby for the last three years said it was “scary” that somebody had been killed. “My girlfriend is pregnant, so it’s not the type of thing you want to bring up a kid in.”
Local man Martin Dunphy said it was “absolutely shocking” that something like this had happened.
“There’s no value on life, is there? Life is cheap.”