Gardaí question teens over shopkeeper's fatal stabbing

Detectives were tonight quizzing two teenagers over the killing of a shopkeeper stabbed in a robbery.

John Deasy was knifed as he went to the aid of a female assistant at his corner shop in Arklow, Co Wicklow on Wednesday night.

Gardaí in Arklow have arrested two 19-year-old men in connection with the incident.

One is being detained in Arklow garda station and the other in Wicklow garda station under the provisions of section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1994.

They can be held for 24 hours.

The shopowner, a father of two in his mid 40s, was in his living quarters above the store on Coolgreany Road when he heard a commotion and went down.

He was stabbed once in the chest as he confronted the raider, who fled with a sum of money.

Attempts to revive Mr Deasy by ambulance personnel and a local doctor failed and he was pronounced dead at scene.