Gardaí line up ‘in-depth’ interview with knife attack journalist

GARDAÍ were last night hoping to speak to radio journalist Mairead O’Dwyer, who was savagely assaulted in Dublin last weekend.

The 27-year-old researcher for Newstalk was yesterday moved from the high-dependency unit at St James’s Hospital.

Detectives had only spoken to the woman very briefly after the attack, but hoped to have an “in depth” conversation with her last night.

The journalist may be in a position to provide some description of her attacker and other crucial details about the assault.

Ms O’Dwyer was repeatedly stabbed in the neck and chest in a brutal, and seemingly random, attack as she walked home to her house in Marylands in Dublin’s south inner city, early on Saturday morning.

Garda sources said her condition was “touch and go” for a while, but that medical staff gave detectives the all clear yesterday to talk to her, after her condition significantly improved.

Her parents and boyfriend have kept a vigil at her bedside since the attack.

Ms O’Dwyer, a native of Clonmel, Co Tipperary, lived in a house on Lourdes Road in Marylands, which lies just off busy Cork Street.

Senior officers yesterday said they had not yet identified any suspects and repeated appeals for potential witnesses to come forward.

One of the witnesses has so far responded, but others, including a couple who were hailing a taxi on Cork Street at around 3.10am, have not yet come forward.

Gardaí have also asked for taxi drivers who were in the area at the time to contact investigators at Kevin Street Station on 01-6669435.