Gardaí investigating the murder of a man from Uzbekistan, who died in hospital in Cork at the weekend, have recovered a knife which they believe was used in the fatal stabbing.
Abduazim Sulaymanov (39), a father of two from the former Soviet Union republic in central Asia, died at Cork University Hospital at about 10.35am on Saturday. He had been in a critical condition since he was brought there by ambulance on New Year's Eve.
At about 8.30am yesterday, gardaí arrested a 35-year-old Uzbek woman in the city centre. She was brought to the Bridewell Garda station where she was questioned for several hours.
Mr Sulaymanov suffered a single stab wound to the upper body at about 8.30pm on New Year's Eve following a row in the rented house at Pinewood, Ballinlough Road.
He lived there with his wife and two children.
The family came to Ireland about three years ago. They were initially accommodated at Ashbourne Lodge in Glounthaune in east Cork while their application for asylum was being processed.
They were subsequently granted refugee status and in June 2005, they moved into their accommodation at Pinewood.
Both Mr Sulaymanov and his wife were pursuing studies while their children, a 15-year-old girl and 10-year-old boy, attend local schools.
More recently, Mr Sulaymanov's mother-in-law joined them from Uzbekistan and was living with them at the terraced house in the quiet neighbourhood at the city end of the Ballinlough Road on Cork's south side.
Following the stabbing, gardaí sealed off the scene and Garda technical experts carried out a forensic examination.
They removed a carving knife from the house for technical examination. Gardaí also spoke to a woman who was in the house at the time.
No one was arrested and the family later returned to the house after gardaí concluded their technical examination.
Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster carried out a postmortem which confirmed that Mr Sulaymanov died from a single stab wound.