A man (26) was arrested this evening in connection with the murder of 28-year-old David Sharkey.
The man is being detained at Navan Garda Station under section 4 of The Criminal Justice Act.
The remains of Mr Sharkey from Navan, Co Meath, were found in the boot of his own car on a halting site in Finglas, Dublin, at about 10pm on Sunday. A postmortem has concluded he died of stab wounds to the chest.
Gardai sealed off an apartment in the Blackcastle area of Navan, Co. Meath this evening in connection with the investigation into the murder. Members of the Garda Technical Bureau are at the scene.
Just before 10pm on Sunday a Garda patrol car was driving along Dunsink Lane, Finglas, when a man drove towards it in a silver BMW 3 series.
The gardaí flagged the car to a halt and briefly spoke to the driver about his movements. The driver was then allowed to drive on his way. The gardaí decided to follow the driver and turned their patrol car in the road.
Just as they began following, the BMW turned left off Dunsink Lane and sped into St Joseph’s Park. Gardaí followed the car into the halting site but when they arrived there they found the BMW crashed up on to a pavement. The driver had just fled across nearby waste ground.
The gardaí searched the vehicle and found Mr Sharkey’s remains in the boot. The BMW was owned by the dead man.
The area was sealed off and the vehicle with the body inside remained at the scene overnight. State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy carried out a preliminary examination of the remains at the scene at lunchtime yesterday. The body was then taken to Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, for a postmortem.
Mr Sharkey was regarded as a small-time drug dealer, based mainly in Navan where his family lives.
Gardaí are not clear as to the motive for his murder but are investigating if it was drug related.
Mr Sharkey had been out socialising in Navan town just hours before his remains were found. Gardaí have contacted his family and friends in an effort to piece together his last known movements and find out how and why he was killed.
Gardaí believe the man driving Mr Sharkey’s remains around was about to dump the body off Dunsink Lane when he unexpectedly came across the Garda patrol car and panicked.
Detectives are hopeful fingerprint and DNA evidence gathered from the vehicle might help them identify the driver.
They believe if the driver had not been disturbed he would most likely have burned the car to destroy forensic evidence linking him to it.
Gardaí said the driver spoke with an “unremarkable” Dublin accent, was in his late 20s and had short black hair. Officers want to speak to anybody who may have seen the silver BMW 3 series, registration 04 D 15553, on Sunday in Navan or Finglas.
Gardaí in Finglas can be contacted on (01) 666 7500.