Gardaí following definite line of inquiry after fatal Dublin stabbing

Gardaí are hoping that CCTV footage, forensic tests on a knife, and eye-witness accounts will progress their investigation into the fatal stabbing of a father-of-two.

The victim, named locally as Derek Reddin, was stabbed a number of times in his chest after an incident at around midnight on Monday in Loughlinstown, south county Dublin.

It is understood a row broke out when two men were walking along Loughlinstown Drive and met two other men outside Cherry Court, a small cul de sac in what locals described as a “quiet residential area”.

The victim, from nearby Killiney, was pronounced dead at the scene despite the efforts of paramedics, who, with gardaí, were alerted.

Two men, aged in their 30s, were arrested soon afterwards by gardaí and are being questioned at Shankill Garda Station.

Officers recovered a knife, the suspected weapon, near the scene. Sources said detectives were following a definite line of inquiry and were not currently looking for anyone else.

It emerged that the attack occurred outside a house, the owner of which told RTÉ news that his CCTV cameras captured it.

"I can see two guys coming on the left side of the road and two guys coming on the right side of the road and they start shouting ... and they start fighting right in front of our house,” he said.

It's mad ... 10 metres in front of your house and there's a guy there under the tent ... you have a guy there alive and one minute later you have a guy there who's dead. It's shocking.

The footage will form part of the investigation. Detectives will also try and secure an eyewitness statement from the second man who was with Mr Reddin.

The knife recovered has been sent to the Garda Technical Bureau for fingerprint and forensic, including DNA, examination.

Gardaí are investigating the motive for the attack, including if it was the result of a personal disagreement, rather than anything linked to organised crime.

While the deceased has convictions, including for assaulting a garda, none are linked to gangland and he is not thought to have associates in organised crime.

Gardaí are appealing to anyone in the vicinity of Loughlinstown Drive between 11.30pm-12.15am to come forward and want motorists with dashcam footage to make it available to investigators.

* Shankill Garda Station 01 6665900; Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.