Gardaí attempt to trace victim’s last movements

Gardaí are trying to trace the final movements of 67-year-old Eugene Gillespie before he was “brutally murdered” by burglars at his home in Sligo town.

Detectives want to identify anyone with whom the highly popular man had been in contact. They also want to identify anyone who might have been seen following him, or acting suspiciously, near his house on Old Market St.

The move comes as businesspeople and friends move to organise a reward for information leading to the conviction of the burglars. Mr Gillespie was tied up and badly beaten by an intruder, or intruders, sometime after 9pm on Wednesday and left for dead for up to two days. It is understood he suffered head injuries, including a broken jaw.