Gardaí were on Wednesday night continuing to question a 38-year-old man about the death of a woman following an alleged assault in her home in Co Cork.
The man had been arrested in Carrigaline at around 5pm on Tuesday for questioning about the death of Stella Nnadi (82) who died at Cork University Hospital (CUH) at around 3.30pm on Tuesday, two days after the alleged incident.
Ms Nnadi had been brought to CUH by ambulance on Tuesday morning after she became unwell following a reported assault at her daughter’s home in Carrigaline on Sunday morning.
Gardaí requested the services of the State Pathologist’s Office and State Pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers carried out a postmortem on Ms Nnadi’s remains at CUH on Tuesday afternoon.
Gardaí later confirmed that Dr Okkers had completed the postmortem but said the results were not being released for operational reasons.
Detectives had until approximately midnight on Wednesday to continuing questioning the suspect at Togher Garda station by which time he had to be either charged or released.
It is understood that gardaí were liaising closely with the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions on Wednesday in relation to the arrested man who was known to Ms Nnadi.
Gardaí had been called on Sunday morning to a house at Garrydhu Drive off Kilmoney Road in Carragline where Ms Nnadi has lived with her daughter, Ruby Ogbo, for three years.
Ms Ogbo had called the Garda and reported that threats had been made against her and her mother following an assault on them in the house by a person who was known to them.
It is understood Ms Ogbo reported that she had been assaulted in the kitchen by a man and she had gone next door to a neighbour’s house to get assistance to restrain the man.
When she returned home, she found her mother, Ms Nnadi, in a disoriented state and alleging that she had been pushed and pulled down the stairs by the same man who had assaulted her.
Gardaí arrived and arrested a man under mental health legislation, and he was brought to CUH for committal. It is understood he was discharged some hours later before being arrested.
