TWO PEOPLE gardaí believe are central to solving the killing of Brian Doyle in Avoca, Co Wicklow, on Sunday night have been traced and interviewed by the investigating team.
Detectives believe Mr Doyle (48), a single man who lived close to where he died, was struck by a car as he lay on the ground injured or unconscious after being assaulted just moments earlier.
The motorist who struck Mr Doyle immediately stopped the car and rang gardaí. A postmortem has identified the car incident rather than the earlier assault as the cause of death.
Gardaí believe the motorist who hit Mr Doyle did not see him on the road until it was too late.
“It appears to have been a genuine accident, and we don’t believe there’s any link at all between Brian Doyle being assaulted and then being hit by the car,” said one source.
The motorist has been interviewed by gardaí but has not been arrested.
The car involved has been taken for a technical examination.
The man who punched Mr Doyle, causing him to fall to the ground, has also been traced and interviewed by gardaí.
Detectives believe this man, who lives locally, and Mr Doyle had earlier on Sunday been involved in a dispute in Fitzgerald’s pub on Main Street, Avoca, over the Liverpool versus Everton game which was shown on the pub’s television during the afternoon.
Gardaí are working on the theory that when Mr Doyle stepped outside the pub for a cigarette at about 9pm he again became involved in a dispute with the same man.
Mr Doyle was punched and fell on the road outside the pub before a vehicle fatally injured him.
Garda sources said while the suspect did not directly cause Mr Doyle’s death, the assault is still a criminal matter.
Mr Doyle, with an address in Kilmagig near Avoca, had gone to Fitzgerald’s pub at 3pm on Sunday. He stayed there drinking until the chain of events that led to his death at 9pm. Gardaí are anxious to speak to everyone in the pub.
Gardaí are also investigating the car incident that killed Mr Doyle and have appealed for witnesses.
They are particularly anxious to speak to the driver of a 4X4 who drove past the scene at about the time of the incident and who may have witnessed it.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Avoca Garda station on 0402-32304.