Gardai release man held for questioning over fatal stabbing

GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING the murder of a 27-year-old man in Cork just over week ago are to prepare a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions after releasing without charge a second man arrested for questioning about the killing.

Detectives investigating the fatal stabbing of Edward Gallagher arrested a 28-year-old man in the Fairhill area of Cork city at about 3.30pm on Friday and brought him to the Bridewell Garda station.

He was arrested under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act which allows gardaí to detain suspects for up to 24 hours, but he was released without charge at about 10.30pm on Saturday night and a file will now be prepared for the DPP, a Garda spokesman confirmed.

Mr Gallagher from Ardcullen, Hollyhill, Cork, died at Cork University Hospital at about 8am on February 15th, after being fatally wounded when he suffered a single stab wound to the chest during a confrontation on Friar’s Walk in the city shortly after 6.30am on the same date.

Last Friday, Alan Field (27), who is from the Gurranebraher area of Co Cork, was remanded on bail after he was brought before a special sitting of Cork District Court and charged with assault causing harm to Mr Gallagher on Friar’s Walk.

Mr Field, whose exact address was not given in court but whose date of birth was given as April 20th, 1981, was also charged with a second offence of producing a knife in the course of a fight in a manner likely to intimidate.

Mr Field was remanded on bail on a number of conditions, including that he reside at a specific address and have no contact with named persons, both of whose names were to be given to his solicitor by gardaí, and that he sign on daily at Gurranebraher Garda station between 9am and 5pm.