Man may have been assaulted or hit by car
When Deniss Timosejevs, aged 22, was discovered face down in a field outside Swords on Tuesday afternoon, he was initially thought to have been a young boy. It subsequently emerged the body was that of an adult of small build.
Gardaí were not able to identify him until Wednesday, when a woman made contact and mentioned a distinctive scar, which the deceased had on his chest.
Officers were unsure if it was a personal tragedy or if there was a third party involved, but there appeared to be no obvious signs of injury.
He was found near a large communications mast at the farm on Windmill Rd, Balheary, by local farmer Richard Gleeson.
The belief strengthened during Wednesday that his death may have been a personal tragedy. But a delayed autopsy led to a twist in the investigation on Wednesday night, with suspicions that the injuries sustained by Mr Timosejevs — a broken arm and internal injuries — may not have been sustained from a fall from the mast.
Dr Khalid Jaber, the deputy state pathologist, returned to the scene on Wednesday night. This led to the investigation team upgrading the death to “suspicious”, but senior officers yesterday stopped short of describing it as murder.
Detectives are investigating a number of lines of inquiry, including that he might have been assaulted nearby or struck by a passing car and, as a result of either being disorientated or badly injured, made his way into the farm, where he collapsed.
In a further development yesterday, gardaí revealed that his mobile phone, AIB card, and Latvian driver’s licence were not on him when he was found, leading to suspicions he was robbed during an attack or after being hit by a vehicle.
Superintendent Ronan Galligan said Mr Timosejevs was last seen in the Thornleigh area of Applewood, north of Swords, on Monday evening, when he went for a walk.
“He had in his possession a silver Sony Ericsson mobile phone, which is a slide-up version, approximately three or four years old, not a new version,” said Supt Galligan.
“He had a Latvian driver’s licence and also he had an AIB bank card. Those items are presently missing.”
Supt Galligan said the deceased was wearing a distinctive orange and black jacket and a Barcelona soccer scarf.
He released a photograph of Mr Timosejevs, who was approximately 5ft in height and of slight build.
Supt Galligan said the Latvian arrived in this country in 2011: “He came over here a young man, trying to make a living. He was working in the Swords area, he was very well-respected by his employers and by the people who knew him.”
Mr Timosejevs lived with family members in Thornleigh Place and other relatives in Latvia have been informed. He worked as a shop assistant in the Pavilion centre in Swords.
- Anyone with information is asked to ring Swords Garda Station at 01 6664700.
