Gardaí now treating death of 10-day-old baby as murder

GARDAÍ ARE now treating as murder the death of a 10-day-old baby boy following a house party three weeks ago, it has emerged.

Detectives in north Co Dublin yesterday arrested two people, bringing to eight the number of people detained over the killing of baby Johnny McCarthy from Navan, Co Meath. They were arrested yesterday morning in Balbriggan, Co Dublin, and are being held in Balbriggan and Whitehall Garda stations on suspicion of withholding information about the death.

The investigating team were initially treating the baby’s death as suspicious. However, following the postmortem and on receiving additional medical evidence, it is now being treated as murder.

The baby boy, who was a member of the Travelling community, died from blunt force trauma to the head. He had also sustained bruising to his body.

Gardaí have ruled out the possibility that the fatal injuries were sustained during a one-off accidental fall or that the head injuries were sustained after the child was dropped as he was being held.

The child’s family live in Navan but were on a visit to a house in Lusk, Co Dublin, on the night of Thursday, January 7th, where a party was under way. Some time in the early hours of Friday, January 8th, the baby became so unwell that it was decided that he needed medical attention.

He was taken by family members to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Co Louth. He was pronounced dead at 2am, not long after arriving there. He had been born at the same hospital just 10 days earlier.

His death was reported to gardaí who sealed off the house at Scholar’s Walk, Lusk, where the party had been held.

The property underwent a full forensic examination by members of the Garda Technical Bureau.

Gardaí believe the baby’s fatal injuries were sustained just before his death and were not historical.

A file is being prepared for the DPP and gardaí are hopeful of securing a murder charge soon. Anyone with information is asked to contact Balbriggan Garda station on (01) 802 0510.