Man killed in Celbridge while socialising, gardaí say

Gardaí believe a man found dead at a house in Co Kildare was killed while socialising with close associates.

The dead man has been named locally as 37-year-old father of one Noel Winterlich who has lived in various addresses in Kildare, Meath and Dublin in recent years.

The dead man sustained head injuries at a gathering in Willowbrook Park, Celbridge, on Tuesday evening.

A postmortem on the deceased’s remains has been completed but the exact cause of death be disclosed for operational reasons, a Garda spokesman said.

However, Garda sources said the deceased’s injuries were consistent with a violent assault.

Gardaí were alerted to Mr Winterlich’s death at 8.50pm on Tuesday by paramedics who arrived at the scene minutes earlier.

The victim, who had HIV and hepatitis as a result of drug use, was pronounced dead at the house at 10.30pm when gardaí sealed off the property in the usually quiet residential area.

A man (26), who was known to the victim, was at the scene when gardaí and paramedics arrived. He was arrested for questioning and held overnight at Leixlip Garda station in Co Kildare.

Mr Winterlich’s remains were left in situ overnight, with Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis carrying out a preliminary examination of the body before it was removed early on Wednesday for full postmortem.

Garda sources said the nature of the investigation into the victim’s death would be dictated by the outcome of the postmortem. However the same sources said the fatality was being treated as unlawful.

The dead man was well known to gardaí and had engaged in petty, though sometimes violent, crime to feed an alcohol and drug addiction. He has over 60 convictions, many for drink and drug related minor matters.

He had recently been living in Celbridge but has had previous addresses in other parts of Kildare and Meath as well as west Dublin and the city centre.

Garda sources said he had failed to appear in court last week to answer charges of threatening and abusive behaviour and a botched attempt to steal from a car in Celbridge.

He was also scheduled to appear at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in November to face a number of charges relating to thefts from motor vehicles.

In 2013 he was sentenced to 18 months for assault causing harm, though that term of imprisonment was suspended, and was previously charged with possession of a knife.

He had also been arrested a number of times in possession of implements commonly used in burglaries and to break into vehicles from which had has stolen electronic goods, clothes and money.

In 2008 gardaí were called to an address in Cork St, Dublin 8, when Mr Winterlich threatened his former partner and mother of his then young son. As gardaí tried to protect the child’s mother by restraining Mr Winterlich he bit one of the gardaí. The attack necessitated months of tests to ensure the injured garda had not contracted HIV from his attacker.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Leixlip Garda station on (01) 666 7800, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666111 or any Garda station.