Mikolaj Wilk: Questions remain over savage murder that shocked a nation

After almost four-and-a-half years of painstaking investigation, which included liaison with Europol and Interpol, gardaí in Cork are poised to submit a vast and detailed file on the brutal machete murder of Mikolaj Wilk to the DPP

Polish couple Mikołaj and Elzbieta Wilk were  living in Ballincollig, Cork when Mikołaj was fatally attacked.

It was a savage murder that shocked the nation, left a town in fear and several first responders requiring counselling.

Now, after almost four-and-a-half years of painstaking investigation, which included liaison with Europol and Interpol, gardaí in Cork are poised to submit a vast and detailed file on the brutal machete murder of Mikolaj Wilk to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for consideration.

The news emerged at Cork City Coroner's Court where the inquest into Mr Wilk's death was first opened and adjourned in November 2018.

Mr Wilk, 35, who was originally from Poland, suffered extensive and horrific wounds to his body 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, near Ballincollig, Cork, in the early hours of June 10, 2018.

The inquest heard at the time how he died from shock and haemorrhage due to multiple blows from sharp weapons in association with a traumatic brain injury.

The inquest was adjourned as the garda probe continued, and it has been mentioned and adjourned a number of times since, pending the outcome of those investigations.

Garda investigation

The case was in for mention before city coroner, Philip Comyn, again on Thursday where Sgt Fergus Twomey confirmed that the garda probe is now at a very advanced stage.

“It has been complex and far-reaching with a national and international aspect,” he said.

“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.” 

A further adjournment was granted pending the outcome of the DPP’s deliberations.

While gardaí 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.

Horrific crime

The father-of-two was hacked and sliced repeatedly in front of his wife Elzbieta, who also sustained life-changing injuries to her hands as she tried to defend him.

Gardaí and paramedics who arrived first encountered horrific scenes.

They found Mr Wilk in critical condition and treated him before he was rushed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

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 in contact with police forces in Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, as part of their investigation.

CCTV evidence

It is understood that the garda file on the case is vast, detailed and complex, and relies heavily on CCTV footage from residential and business properties, on forensic evidence from the scene and from the suspected get-away car which was found burning in nearby Waterfall after the murder, as well as on technical data gleaned from phones and computers.

Mr Wilk was buried in his native Poland. Ms Wilk returned to Poland just a few weeks later.

Several months after the murder, gardaí seized vehicles, phones and computers, searched seven properties in Cork city, and arrested several people, including Irish, Latvian and Polish nationals, on suspicion of facilitating and supporting the gang involved in the murder.