Attack victim has ‘no idea’ about motive for stabbing

A MAN who was stabbed several times outside his home in Kildare yesterday morning was last night released from Blanchardstown hospital, where he was being treated for his injuries.

John Murphy, 41, who was stabbed in front of his 14-year-old daughter as he was taking her to school, said he has no idea why he was attacked.

The building contractor was stabbed four times in the back, arm, shoulder and head, but his injuries are said to be not as bad as originally reported.

The incident happened at 9am yesterday outside his home in Ryvale Lawns in Leixlip.

A neighbour described the incident as being very frightening.

“No one has any idea what happened to him, there doesn’t seem to be any reason for him being attacked,” said the neighbour.

Leixlip town councillor Paul Kelly, who had previously lived in Ryevale Lawns, said: “A stabbing in the area is completely unusual - it’s a quiet residential estate.”

Gardaí were this morning continuing their search for two men following the attack. The men are believed to have been masked and wearing hoodies. They escaped down a nearby laneway into the Louisa Valley estate before making their getaway in a waiting vehicle.

Gardaí say they have not established any motive for the attack, and Mr Murphy was not robbed.

The area outside the house has been sealed off for technical examination and gardaí are speaking to neighbours.

Meanwhile, alert gardaí succeeded in catching a vandal who caused an estimated €500,000 worth of damage to planes at an airfield in west Dublin during a drunken rampage.

An investigation has begun into an incident at Weston Aerodrome near Lucan in the early hours of Thursday morning in which five small aircraft and a helicopter were damaged.

A passing patrol car from Leixlip spotted a young man throwing rocks at an aircraft hangar.

A 23-year-old man, who is well known to gardaí, resisted arrest but was eventually overpowered by officers.

It is believed the suspect, together with an accomplice who managed to escape capture, had gone onto the premises in an attempt to steal a car.

They also broke into a building at the airfield where they ransacked a number of offices, from which they obtained a small amount of money.

Garda sources claimed the culprit was clearly drunk at the time of his arrest.