Gardaí are expected to upgrade their investigation into the stabbing of a man last month to a murder inquiry after the victim died from his injuries in hospital on Thursday.
Detectives investigating the case are awaiting the results of a postmortem before they can formally upgrade the status of the inquiry.
The victim, a 33-year-old meat processing factory worker, was stabbed in the head on July 29th during a row with a teenager on the main street of Duleek village in Co Meath.
He was found on the street with a boning knife protruding from his head. Both the victim and his 17-year-old alleged attacker are from Brazil and were living in Duleek.
The dead man survived the initial attack and underwent surgery.
He was treated at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, and then transferred to Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, where his condition had been described as serious since.
However, his condition deteriorated in recent days and he died from his injuries at Beaumont on Thursday afternoon.
Gardaí have been following a definite line of inquiry since the attack took place. Shortly after the incident the 17-year-old suspect was arrested and taken for questioning to Navan Garda station.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was later brought before the courts where he was charged with possession of a knife.
A file was being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecution. However, following the victim's death, the 17-year-old is expected to face more serious charges in coming days.
