Garda hunt underway as woman left in critical condition after knife attack

A WOMAN was in a critical condition last night after being subjected to a crazed stabbing at her home in north Dublin.

The woman, named locally as Violet Quigley, 44, was repeatedly stabbed by an attacker in the torso, particularly in the lower stomach and kidney areas.

Neighbours, including a nurse, came to her aid after she screamed for help from the bedroom of her house in Donaghmede at around midnight on Thursday.

Neighbour Clare Downey said Ms Quigley, who was thought to live on her own, said to them: “Am I dying? Am I dying?”

A major Garda hunt was under way yesterday for the perpetrator, who witnesses said was wearing a dark hoodie.

Gardaí said her home had been burgled two days previously and that she reported that some jewellery had been stolen.

Detectives will investigate if the burglar came back again, but are keeping an open mind on it and are investigating the possibility that a burglar may not have been involved.

“We feel somebody out there knows what happened and why,” said a Garda source.

Some neighbours said there was someone coming and going into the house in recent days.”

Gardaí will talk to friends and colleagues of Ms Quigley, a solicitor with ESB, in the coming days to see if they can shed any light on the incident.

Neighbours said Ms Quigley lost a huge amount of blood before being treated at the scene by ambulance staff.

She was taken to Beaumont Hospital and underwent emergency surgery.

She was rushed back into theatre later after her condition deteriorated.

Sources said that afterwards her condition, although still critical, had stabilised.

Doctors have said that while she may survive, she has suffered severe damage to internal organs.

At a press briefing, Superintendent Mark Curran of Coolock Garda Station, said her injuries were “quite serious and that quite a lot of blood was shed”.

He said the attacker may have had blood-stained clothing and appealed to anyone who saw a person with such clothing to contact them.

Anyone with information can contact gardaí in Coolock on 01 6664200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.