Gardai investigating the murder of a Galway amusement arcade manager have made what they regard as a significant breakthrough in the case. They are believed to have found money stolen from the premises on the night of the killing. Up to £1,500 in coins was missing from the Funworld arcade in Ballinasloe, where Mr John Kennedy was found dead early on the morning of August 19th. The cash consisted mainly of bags of 10p coins from the gambling machines.
Gardai would not confirm they had found the money, saying only that something significant had been found by the investigating team.
Mr Kennedy (50), of Ahascragh, was battered to death. His body was found at 4.15 a.m. by employees of a nearby fast-food restaurant. A post-mortem showed he died from "severe lacerations of the brain" caused by repeated blows with a blunt intrument. The Garda team indicated later that robbery could have been the motive for the attack as £1,500 in coins was missing. They asked shopkeepers and counter staff at post offices and banks to report any unusual transactions involving large amounts of coins.
Insp Paul Hargadon of Ballinasloe station said about 40 officers were working on the case and had made significant progress. "We have had a significant find but at this stage we are not revealing what it is, because that would be prejudicial to the investigation," he said.
The owners of the arcade have offered a £10,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for Mr Kennedy's murder.