Kevin (35) killed by stomach stab wound
INQUEST IS ADJOURNED AFTER REQUEST BY GARDAI
A MAN who was found with serious injuries in an apartment in Lucan, west Dublin, in January after having travelled there by taxi from Tallaght died from a stab wound to his stomach, an inquest has heard.
Kevin Walsh (35) was pronounced dead at Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown in Dublin at around 6.45pm on January 7, 2024, where he had been brought by ambulance from the apartment in Shackleton Hall.
Gardai had been called to the apartment earlier that day by paramedics who were treating the victim for serious injuries after arriving at 3am.
At the opening of an inquest into Mr Walsh’s death at Dublin City Coroner’s Court yesterday, the deceased’s sister Lisa McCabe gave evidence of formally identifying his body to gardai at CHB on January 7, 2024.
Ms McCabe, who had been with Mr Walsh’s partner Lauren Beresford in the hospital, said she learnt he had undergone surgery earlier that day.
CoronerCronaGallagher said the results of a postmortem confirmed that Mr Walsh died as a result of haemorrhage and shock from a stab wound to his abdomen.
Inspector Niamh Buckley applied for a sixmonth adjournment of the inquest under Section 25 (1) of the Coroners Act on the basis that criminal proceedings in relation to Mr Walsh’s death were still being considered.
Insp Buckley told the coroner that she hoped a file on the Garda investigation would be forwarded to the DPP in the next two to three months and confirmed that no criminal charges have been initiated to date.
Dr Gallagher granted the application and adjourned the inquest to February 4, 2025. She also requested gardai to update the court if there was any development in the case.
Dr Gallagher offered her sympathy to relatives of Mr Walsh who attended the brief five-minute hearing.
Difficult
“I’m sure every day has been difficult since this tragic death,” she added.
Mr Walsh, who was known by the nickname ‘Stretch’, was expected to survive after surgery but his condition deteriorated rapidly over a number of hours.
Investigating gardai believe he took a taxi from his family home in Allenton Green to the apartment where he had been living in the early hours of January 7. Gardai believe he was attacked in Tallaght beforehand. Media reports in January revealed that Mr Walsh had refused to disclose to ambulance personnel who had carried out the attack.
In May, two females in their 40s and a male in his 30s were arrested in connection with the stabbing but were later released without charge.
The deceased was a well-known figure to gardai as he had served several prison sentences after amassing over 70 criminal convictions, including for the manslaughter of British national James Burke in 2005 when Walsh was aged 16.