GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING the murder of two Polish men in Dublin now believe the victims may have died at the hands of two different killers. Conor Lally, Crime Correspondent, reports.
It had initially been believed that one person had inflicted the fatal injuries on the victims.
Gardaí say the crime could be solved by the testimony of a small group of teenage eyewitnesses who were at the scene of the attack. However, a number of witnesses who have not co-operated are facing arrest.
Pawel Kalite (29) and Marius Szwajkos (27) were stabbed in the throat and head with a screwdriver.
They were attacked after they became involved in an argument with teenagers outside shops on Benbulben Road, a short distance from where they lived, at 6.50pm last Saturday.
Mr Szwajkos died in St James's Hospital on Monday with Mr Kalite losing his struggle for life at the same hospital in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy yesterday met members of the Garda investigating team in Crumlin.
He was accompanied by Deputy Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan, who is in charge of operations across the force, and Assistant Garda Commissioner Al McHugh, the most senior officer in the Dublin metropolitan region.
Mr Murphy said the killings had shocked the people of Drimnagh and the rest of the country. He offered his condolences to the dead men's families.
He was satisfied the Garda investigation was "thorough and painstaking". However, he appealed for more witnesses to come forward.
"There is a strong relationship between the community in Drimnagh and the local community gardaí and this appalling incident contrasts greatly with the spirit and character of the people in that community," he said.
So far three teenagers, aged 19, 16 and 15, have been arrested and questioned about the double murder. The two younger youths presented themselves for questioning.
All three have been released without charge and a file on their alleged roles in the fatal attack is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Implements were found at the scene of the crime but the screwdriver believed to have been used in the attack has not yet been recovered. Garda sources said it was unclear if the same screwdriver was used on both men or if two weapons had been used by the two attackers.
Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan said the killings reflected a "general brutalisation in society's values". He said the excessive consumption of alcohol was a factor in many public order issues.
However, the situation around alcohol-fuelled public disorder was not as bad in most parts of Ireland compared with the situation in the UK.
Members of the local community in Drimnagh are to hold a silent vigil at the scene of the attacks at 6.30pm this evening.
On Monday at 7.30pm, President Mary McAleese will attend a service at the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Drimnagh, in memory of the dead men.