Deceased assault victim told ‘not your business’ and punched in the face
Mr Mullally, who was out for his retirement party, called out “leave her alone, leave her alone” to a man he saw harassing a woman.
When the attacker refused to stop, the 57-year-old remonstrated with him, but was punched twice in the head. Falling, he banged his head off the footpath.
The horror was observed by the man’s brother and sister, who ran to his aid.
The attacker and his girlfriend fled in a car.
The tragedy unfolded outside an apartment complex on Harold’s Cross Rd, south Dublin, at around 3.45am on Saturday.
Mr Mullally, who has a teenage daughter, was brought to St James’s Hospital, where he died early on Sunday. Gardaí subsequently arrested a man, aged 45, and questioned him in relation to the attack. It is understood the man, from the Tallaght area, admitted to hitting the deceased.
He was released without charge, pending a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions. An autopsy was conducted yesterday morning and gardaí are hopeful of an early charge in the case.
“This is a desperate case, a tragedy,” said one garda source. “But it’s pretty clear-cut in terms of the investigation.”
Detectives have also interviewed the attacker’s girlfriend to get her account of what transpired.
Officers have a number of key witness statements, including those of the deceased’s brother and sister.
That will be crucial in any prosecution, as will the statements of the suspect and his girlfriend.
Mr Mullally had been out with family and friends, celebrating his retirement from Guinness.
They had been socialising in town, before they went to a local pub in Harold’s Cross.
Sources said that when Mr Mullally and his brother and sister left, at around 3.45am, he spotted a fight involving a couple on the footpath, up the road, outside a block of apartments.
“He said ‘leave her alone, leave her alone’,” said a source, “and the fella said ‘look, this is a domestic, it’s none of your business’.”
Mr Mullally went over to help the woman.
“He received two boxes and banged his head off the footpath,” said the source. The source said the offender “disappeared”, along with his girlfriend, and that they got into a car and left. But gardaí tracked the couple down and arrested the man, who lives in Tallaght.
He was arrested early on Sunday morning. He was taken to Terenure garda station, under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
The man admitted that he stuck Mr Mullaly. Gardaí also spoke to his partner.
Detectives are examining the man’s background, and the circumstances leading up to the incident, and any other relevant factors.
Local sources said Mr Mullally’s organs were donated, “reflecting the selflessness” of the man.
