Deceased was ‘a quiet man who wouldn’t hurt a fly’

A man found dead in a Waterford City apartment suffered head injuries in an incident involving at least one other person, gardaí believe.

Joe O’Brien, aged 60, was yesterday described by a neighbour as “a lovely man” who “wouldn’t hurt a fly”.

Two people — a 47-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman — were last night being held by gardaí after being arrested close to the apartment block off William St in Waterford City, where Mr O’Brien died on Monday night.

An autopsy was carried out by deputy state pathologist Dr Michael Curtis.

The deceased lived nearby at a social housing scheme in Spring Garden Alley, close to Waterford City Hall. It is understood he was separated from his wife and has a daughter in the area.

A former taxi-driver, he recently spent some time in hospital but returned home in the last few weeks.

He moved to Spring Garden Alley, where he lived alone, about a year ago having previously lived at another social housing development in the city.

“He was the most inoffensive man, he never caused any trouble,” a woman who lived near to him said yesterday. “He’s a lovely man. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. If I was going out and he was passing that way, he’d always say hello. A quiet man, he was a dote.”

It is believed Mr O’Brien visited a ground floor apartment at the Scotch Marsh House development off Scotch Quay and William St on Monday night.

A 999 call was made to Waterford Garda Station at about 9.50pm when a caller said an incident had occurred in the apartment.

Gardaí and ambulance crew arrived at the scene and found Joe O’Brien in an “unresponsive” state, with head injuries. CPR was carried out but a doctor from the Caredoc after-hours service pronounced Mr O’Brien dead at the scene.

Superintendent Chris Delaney appealed to any member of the public with information to contact the local Garda station on 051 305300.

A number of people living in the area, which has a significant number of apartment developments overlooking the River Suir, said there had been a stabbing incident nearby some weeks ago, in which three people were injured.

One woman, who did not want to be named, said she “heard a noise” from the apartment sometime between 9.30pm and 10pm on Monday. “I heard someone talking, it was like a group of people.”

A Frenchman who has lived nearby for the last three years said it was “scary” that somebody had been killed. “My girlfriend is pregnant so it’s not the type of thing you want to bring up a kid in.”

Local man Martin Dunphy said it was “absolutely shocking” that something like this had happened.

“There’s no value on life, is there? Life is cheap.”