Murdered father beaten with blunt instrument

A father found murdered in his Co Laois home died from several blows to the head by a blunt instrument, it was confirmed today.

The results of a post mortem examination on the body of Pat Burke, 55, of Ballybrittas, near Monasterevin, led gardaí to upgrade their investigation to a full murder inquiry.

The dead man’s 52-year-old wife Anne, was found slumped next to his body with minor knife injuries to her arms, at around 10.40pm on Sunday night.

Detectives are hoping the woman, being treated in St James' Hospital in Dublin, will be able to help shed more light on the killing.

One of the couple’s four teenage children was believed to have alerted gardaí on Sunday night after finding his father dead in a downstairs bedroom and his mother nearby.

Detectives removed a hammer, a bloodied knife and a note found at the scene for forensic examination.

Mr Burke worked as a groundsman at the Mount St Anne’s Retreat House centre in in Killenard, Portarlington. He had been a member of staff there for the last four years.

Superintendent Philip Lyons, who is heading up the investigation, said detectives were awaiting the results of the forensic examinations to establish what weapons were used in the attack.