Father of one fatally stabbed in Cork City named locally as man, 40s, arrested

Oleksandr Zhyvytskyi, who was in his early 30s, was attacked on a street just metres from his home near the city centre

Oleksandr Zhyvytskyi, who was in his early 30s, was attacked just metres from his home in the Camden Court apartments on Carroll’s Quay, Cork. Picture: Chani Anderson

A man has been arrested in connection with the death of a father-of-one who was fatally stabbed as he walked home to his family after 7pm on Monday.

Oleksandr Zhyvytskyi, who was in his early 30s, was attacked just metres from his home in Camden Court on Carroll's Quay in the Lower John St, Knapp's Square, Devonshire St area of Cork city.

A man in his 40s was arrested in connection with his death on Wednesday.

He was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 and was being questioned at a garda station in Cork City.

Drops of blood still traced the young father’s final steps home, into the apartment building he lived in with his partner and their young child, by Wednesday morning.

He left home to get food nearby, but was stabbed as he walked the short distance home. He made it back to his apartment where his partner called for help. Despite paramedics working to save his life, he was later pronounced dead at the scene. 

“She was in bits this morning,” one person in the Camden Court apartment block where the family lived on Carroll’s Quay said of the deceased man’s partner.

They were a nice couple. I think he was out working from early every morning. They have a very young child. 

The couple are originally from Eastern Europe, the neighbour said. The young woman appears to be in her 20s and their child is still very young, possibly less than one-year-old, the neighbour said.

One resident, Andrew Zammit, originally from Malta, said that residents of Camden Court were both saddened and scared by news of the suspected stabbing.

The first he knew of his neighbour’s death was when gardaí knocked on his apartment door on Tuesday afternoon.

“I was shocked when they said there had been a stabbing,” he said.

“My partner went down to collect food that evening. It’s scary to think he could have been attacked too. I was scared for my partner thinking of it.” 

The apartments at Camden Court are “peaceful, quiet and full of professionals”, Mr Zammit said.

I love it here. And I feel safe in Cork. I’ve never felt intimidated here. 

"I love Cork and the people here. I was shocked to hear this.

“And we pay top dollar here [in these apartments]. It’s scary to think of someone dying here.

“It’s so sad for the man and his family. My condolences go to them.” 

Mr Zammit’s apartment looks over Knapp’s Square, the area where the alleged attack is understood to have taken place.

He was at home on Monday evening watching Netflix but did not hear anything outside that evening.

But at weekends, he often hears ‘lads shouting, drinking’ there, he said.

“I think gardaí should pay attention to that area at weekends,” he said.

Knapp’s Square is a road behind the apartments. It leads to old city steps which link the area to John Redmond St which leads up to the Shandon area where the deceased went to buy food before the suspected assault on Monday evening.