GARDAÍ IN Cork have started an investigation into an assault which left a 46-year-old father of three fighting for life after being attacked and stabbed when he returned home early yesterday morning.
The victim was set upon by two men when he answered a knock at his door at Plunkett Road in Ballyphehane on Cork’s southside at about 2am.
It is understood he was stabbed a number of times, including once in the groin. His femoral artery was cut which led to a considerable loss of blood. He was also hit on the head by one of his assailants, who was armed with a baseball bat.
One of the victim’s teenage children raised the alarm and contacted the emergency services. The man was taken by ambulance to Cork University Hospital but was later transferred to the Mercy University Hospital.
He underwent emergency surgery and remained in a critical condition last night at the Mercy hospital intensive care unit with the next 48 hours expected to be crucial to his survival and recovery.
Gardaí have yet to formally receive any complaint regarding the attack. But they have taken a number of precautionary measures, including cordoning off the scene of the assault and carrying out a technical examination of the area.
Detectives have also begun door to door inquiries in the Plunkett Road and Pouladuff Road areas while they have also begun examining CCTV footage from a number of premises in the general area in the hope of identifying the man’s assailants.
Investigating officers believe that the attackers may have used a silver BMW to escape, while they are also trying to establish whether one of the assailants may have travelled to Plunkett Road by motorcycle as they try to piece together what exactly happened.
Gardaí are also investigating whether or not the attack may have been linked to an earlier incident in Cork city centre where an altercation took place and whether the attackers may have followed the victim home. Supt Charlie Barry appealed to anyone who may have witnessed the assault or have any information which could assist gardaí to contact Togher Garda station on 021-4947120.