Net closing on chief suspects in brutal machete murder of Mikolaj Wilk in Cork

Mikolaj Wilk suffered multiple injuries when he was set upon by a gang of up to five masked men armed with machetes who broke into his home in Cork

Gardaí are poised to submit a file on their investigation into the savage killing of Mikolaj Wilk (pictured) at his rented home near Ballincollig in June 2018 to the Director of Public Prosecutions. File picture: GoFundMe

The net is closing on the chief suspects for the brutal machete murder of a Polish man in Cork just over four years ago.

Gardaí are poised to submit a file on their investigation into the savage killing of Mikolaj Wilk, 35, at his rented home near Ballincollig in June 2018 to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), it was confirmed on Thursday.

Mr Wilk, a father-of-two, suffered multiple injuries when he was set upon by a gang of up to five masked men armed with machetes who broke into his rented home at Maglin in the early hours of June 10, 2018.

He was hacked repeatedly in front of his wife Elzbieta, who sustained life-changing injuries to her hands as she tried to defend him. He died from shock and haemorrhage due to multiple blows from sharp weapons in association with a traumatic brain injury.

The garda murder probe has been ongoing since, and Cork city coroner’s court was told that it is now at a very advanced stage.

“It has been complex and far-reaching with a national and international aspect. It is at a very advanced stage, and it is anticipated that a file will be submitted to the DPP in the near future, seeking directions,” Sgt Fergus Twomey said.

City coroner, Philip Comyn, agreed to a further adjournment of the inquest until next April pending the outcome of the DPP’s deliberations.

Detectives believe that a gang with links to Eastern Europe travelled to Ireland to carry out the attack, and that they received logistics support from contacts living in Cork.

Gardaí have been liaising with Europol and Interpol as part of their investigation. While they have not commented publicly on the motive for the attack, it is suspected that Mr Wilk may have had a historic debt with a Polish criminal gang.