Gardaí appeal to man who ran from scene of fatal stabbing

Gardaí have appealed directly to a man who ran from a murder scene in Dublin wearing bloody clothing to present himself for interview.

DJ Leo Carolan was stabbed to death at his flat on Dublin's South Circular Road during an incident on Tuesday afternoon.

A Swiss man known to the art and design graduate was also stabbed but survived and is now seriously ill in hospital.

Gardaí believe a third man seen by shocked witnesses running from the scene may hold the key to solving the case.

A knife has been found but it is believed at least one other knife was used during the incident and searches for that were continuing on Wednesday.

Blood stains still marked the spot where the injured man was found on the pavement outside the flat where the dead man’s body was discovered.

Garda sources said the injured man, who was a friend of Mr Carolan’s, has not been well enough to be interviewed and while he has spoken briefly to the gardaí it may be some time before he can make a full statement.

The injured man is resident in Ireland and is in his mid-20s.

Supt Patrick McMenamin of Kevin St Garda Station made a direct appeal to the man who fled the scene yesterday to come forward voluntarily and speak to the investigating team.

“We’re anxious that he make contact with us; we believe he has crucial information that will assist us,” he said.

“We believe he has information about what happened and we’d like to talk to him.”

The man being sought is described as being in his mid 20s and about 5 feet 6 inches in height.

He was described by witnesses who saw him running away as wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and runners.

He is believed to have “fair or reddish” hair cut short and may have been carrying a bag.

Murder scene

Supt McMenamin also urged anyone who was in the area close to the murder scene - on South Circular Road near Bloomfield Avenue, Dublin 8 - between 2.30pm and 4pm yesterday to contact gardaí.

Mr Carolan was a graduate of Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology. He had lived for a period in France and attended school there.

Gardaí were alerted to the stabbings yesterday at about 3.30pm. When they arrived at the scene they found the Swiss man injured on the pavement across the road from Mr Carolan’s flat.

After medical care was summoned for him, gardaí went into the flat and found the body of the deceased inside the property.

Gardaí believed all three men were in the flat when the stabbings occurred.

The flat remains sealed off and has been examined by the Garda Technical Bureau, as has the scene on the pavement.

The injured man was taken to St James’s Hospital with a knife wound to his neck, though injuries are not life threatening.

Gardaí have appointed family liaison officers to assist Mr Carolan’s family and the relatives of the injured man. Door to door inquiries were continuing in a bid to find more witnesses.

A knife with a black handle which was found on the pavement outside the flat was photographed by gardaí and taken away for examination yesterday.

Garda teams are searching the streets close to the murder scene for any weapons that may have been discarded. Refuse sacks are being examined and undergrowth cut back as part of the searches.