Man left fighting for life after knife attack
The man was taken to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital after suffering multiple stab wounds. Witnesses said he was bleeding heavily from the throat.
Superintendent John Scanlon of Roxboro Garda Station said: “He is in a critical and stable condition.”
He said a man and a woman had been arrested and were being held at Roxboro and Henry Street Garda Stations.
It is believed the incident began a short distance from Parnell St on Lady’s Lane, near the main social welfare office.
The incident ended on Parnell St, which was packed with shoppers.
After the badly wounded man was removed by ambulance, gardaí cordoned off the entire area, resulting in a major disruption to traffic.
The victim is well known to gardaí, who are still trying to ascertain a motive.
CCTV footage along Parnell St has been gathered by gardaí, and this process has already given them a major lead in the investigation.
It emerged last night that the two people arrested were tracked down by gardaí to an upstairs flat in Upper Cecil St, which was cordoned off as part of the crime scene
One Garda source said the victim was stabbed in the throat with what appeared to be a Stanley blade.
Local sources said the victim had been moving around the Parnell St area during the hours leading up to the attack when a row broke out on Lady’s Lane.
Supt Scanlon has appealed to anybody who was in the Parnell St area at about 3.40pm yesterday and who may have witnessed the attack to contact Roxboro Garda Station on 061 214340.
“I HAD to attend counselling after the incident due to the shock and trauma I suffered. I also had to receive medication to help me cope daily after the events of May 4.
“I, as the victim, have had to make significant changes to both my family and personal life in order to try and help me overcome the events of May 4. I have always been a very confident and independent individual, but that has now changed.
“I find it extremely difficult to go anywhere unaccompanied and live in constant fear which has put my family and friends under a lot of pressure. I no longer feel safe in my own home and need to have company at all times. I find it incredibly difficult to do even the simplest chores like the weekly shopping without having somebody accompany me. The nature of my employment involves travelling between Dublin and Limerick frequently, this is a journey I can no longer do unless I have a work colleague or family member to travel with me.
“I was unable to work for many weeks after the incident on May 4, because as I outlined previously it involves travel between Limerick and Dublin. I find it very hard to find the courage to do this journey again. I am not sure how much longer I can do this journey as it is a constant reminder of what happened to me in Colbert station.
“I am very lucky to have a good job with a reputable company, but now fear I may have to give all this up due to the constant fear I have of travelling. This will have serious financial implications but is something I am currently considering. I feel very sad at the thought of giving up the job I love, but feel I may have no other option as the stress of travelling weekly is becoming unbearable.
“My only daughter made her First Holy Communion on May 7, which was only three days after the incident in Colbert Station. This was an event I was looking forward to for months. I was travelling from Dublin to Limerick on May 4 to prepare for this special day and enjoy the days leading up to it with my daughter.
“Due to the trauma and shock suffered after the incident in Colbert Station, what was meant to be one of the most important days in a mother’s life became a total nightmare. This special day is meant to create memories you take with you throughout your life.
“I was robbed of that opportunity because, when I think of my only child’s special day, it is a constant reminder of the incident that happened three days prior. This is a day that I can never get back and it saddens me that my precious child had to experience her special day in the shadow of what happened her mother a few days beforehand.”
