Man in custody over the death of Nicola Collins in Cork
A bouquet of flowers was placed at the door not long after the body of Nicola Collins had been brought out through it.
Her life had been extinguished in violent circumstances just hours before.
Locals gathered along the footpath, and on the other side of the road as the body of the 39-year-old was removed and placed in the rear of an undertaker’s vehicle by two gentlemen wearing blue gloves.
The thoughts of everyone were on the woman from the southside of Cork city and what had befallen her.
A man in his forties, arrested at the scene, on Popham’s Rd, Farranree, on the city’s northside, was detained for questioning in Mayfield garda station. A garda investigation into how Ms Collins had died had begun.
She is understood to have been living in the Clashduv Rd area of Togher, on the city’s southside, where she had an apartment.
The man renting the flat to the rear of a Gala Xpress shop on Popham’s Rd is understood to have been living there for over a year. Locals said Ms Collins had been seen visiting in recent months.
The emergency services were alerted in the early hours of yesterday, with an ambulance at the scene by 3.30am and gardai arriving shortly afterwards.
By yesterday morning, the area directly in front of the property was sealed off, even as people still came and went for their groceries to the shop.
“I’m not being smart now, but was any priest called?” asked one woman with genuine concern, as members of the garda forensic team, clad in white, entered and left the property, joined after 10am by State pathologist Margaret Bolster.
By 11.10am, the body of Ms Collins had been carefully removed and placed in a vehicle to be taken to Cork University Hospital, where a full autopsy was conducted yesterday afternoon. It is understood she had sustained injuries to the neck and head.
Many locals said they did not know Ms Collins, but were taken aback by her tragic death.
“We are shocked, totally shocked,” said Ann Buckley, a resident of the area for 59 years. “Nothing like this ever happened here.
“She is someone’s child. Imagine her parents this morning.”
Maud Murphy, who also lives nearby, said: “My heart goes out to her.”
Another woman said the incident had put Farranree “on the map” for the wrong reasons.
Neighbour and local Sinn Féin city councillor Kenneth Collins said the community was shocked and devastated.
“I live just three doors away and heard the sirens this morning. It’s just awful, to think this has happened,” he said. “This is a mature area of the city and there has never been anything like this. All the residents are in shock and our thoughts and prayers go to the victim and her family.”
Echoing the views of others, Mr Collins said: “She is someone’s child, someone’s daughter. It’s going to be very hard for people to accept it.”
Bouquet of flowers left at door of property where woman's body was discovered in Farranree, Cork today #iestaff via @noelbaker1 pic.twitter.com/F8klQOyTyH
— Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) March 27, 2017
The man arrested yesterday was brought for questioning to Mayfield Garda Station, where he was being detained under the provisions of section 4 of The Criminal Justice Act, 1984. He can be questioned for up to 24 hours.
Gardaí have appealed for witnesses or anyone else with any information to contact them at Watercourse Road Garda Station on 021-4558260.
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