Polish knife victim died after cocaine and booze binge

POLISH knife victim Bartkoniej Urbaniak died after a heavy cocaine and booze binge with a group of friends, including his killer.

The victim was with a crowd of up to 13 people at a private birthday party at a north Dublin club last Saturday night.

Gardaí said “huge quantities” of champagne, whiskey and Red Bull were consumed along with large amounts of cocaine.

The group paid out €1,000 in cash to hire out a private suite at the Wright Venue in Swords, and received €500 in credit to use a mini-bar in the suite.

Mr Urbaniak, 29, a factory worker living in Naas, Co Kildare, was killed early on Sunday outside an apartment complex in Fairview, on the northside.

Most of the group, travelling in two taxis, got out at the same time at the Hogan House complex on Richmond Road, where they had planned to continue partying.

Garda sources said six people in total travelled in the two taxis and that an “altercation” occurred as they got out, resulting in Mr Urbaniak being stabbed in the stomach.

Two members of the group brought him to a maternity hospital by mistake. He was transferred to the Mater Hospital, where, despite the efforts of surgeons, he died on Sunday afternoon.

Detectives have interviewed, on a voluntary basis, the five other people who got out of the taxis. They have also interviewed other friends.

Garda sources said they were getting “a few different versions” of what happened and needed to make further progress before they exercised the power of arrest.

Gardaí said there was “always a danger” the suspects could return to Poland.

Gardaí said the interviews revealed a long night of excess: “In interviews they told us they had drank a huge amount,” said a source. “We’re not talking beer, but champagne, whiskey, Red Bull. They were all coked up as well.”

Garda sources said some of the group were “fairly rough” and that one or two were known to gardaí for drugs and burglary offences.

Detectives have interviewed the main suspects, including the most likely killer. “We have a good idea who did it, but are not certain,” said a source.

Gardaí have made repeated appeals to taxi drivers who ferried the party-goers to contact them, including:

* A taxi travelling from the Wright Venue to Richmond Road between 2.45am and 3.30am on Sunday.

* A taxi who picked up two females and a male on Booterstown Avenue at about 3am before dropping one of the females at Kirwan Street and continuing on to St Aidan’s Park via Richmond Road where the remaining female and male got out.

Anyone with information can contact Swords Garda Station 01-666 4700 or the Garda Confidential Line.