Brother of missing girl stabbed to death

The family of missing teenager Amy Fitzpatrick has been engulfed in further trauma after Amy’s brother Dean was fatally stabbed outside his mother’s home.

A man, aged 42 and known to the victim, was arrested and is being questioned in relation to the 23-year-old’s murder.

Gardaí responded to a 999 call and arrived at the Burnell Square apartments at the Northern Cross on the Malahide Rd, north Dublin, at 11.20pm on Saturday.

The victim had suffered a serious knife injury and was taken to nearby Beaumont Hospital, where he died a short time later.

Mr Fitzpatrick was living in an apartment inside the complex with his mother, Audrey Fitzpatrick. She is understood not to have been in the apartment at the time. His stepfather, David Mahon, leaves in Santry.

Ms Fitzpatrick and Mr Mahon have been campaigning for years for information in relation to the disappearance of Amy, then aged 15, while on holiday in Spain in Jan 2008.

She vanished without trace on New Year’s Day as she walked home from a friend’s house in Riviera del Sol. There have been no sightings of her since and she is thought to be dead.

Gardaí suspect a row broke out inside the apartment at around 11pm on Saturday between Dean Fitzpatrick and another man. Sources said there had been “bad blood” between the two men for years, but added that they did not know what sparked the events leading to the death.

Garda forensic experts are examining the apartment, stairwell, and outside the complex doors for evidence and in a bid to piece together where exactly the stabbing took place.

Speaking at an appeal for information yesterday, Superintendent Ronan Galligan of Coolock Garda Station said the murder weapon had not yet been found.

He asked anyone who was in the area, including those returning to their apartments between 11pm and 11.20pm, to contact them if they saw anything which might be of assistance. He said it would have been a very busy place at the time.

He said gardaí were gathering camera footage in the area. A CCTV camera is positioned over the entrance to the complex.

Yesterday afternoon, a man presented himself to Coolock Garda Station in relation to the incident. He was arrested under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

A search operation is under way for the knife, which may have been disposed of. Supt Galligan urged anyone who comes across a knife hidden or dumped to contact them.

Anyone with information can contact Coolock Garda Station on 01-6664200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.