Man arrested

L5

[Deleted]

"A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of 35-year-old Margaret 'Meg' Walsh who was buried yesterday.

Gardaí in Waterford arrested the 40-year-old man in the Waterford area shortly after 9am today.

He is being detained at Waterford Garda Station under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act and can be held for up to 12 hours.
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The body of the mother of one was taken from the River Suir on Sunday last.

A post mortem examination showed she had suffered severe injuries to her upper body."

Talliesin

The following is being said in my capacity as a Super-Moderator
Note before this thread really begins:

This is obviously an emotive subject and it is fully understandable that people wanting to discuss this.

However, we cannot have the slightest hint of anything entering into this discussion from sources other than the media. That also means media reports, rather than radio DJ tattle (if they mess up we won't be better off for copying them).

If you're going to state something as reported, then give the wheres and whos as to the publisher. Ideally straight quotes (small though, can't get this into a bloody copyright issue either). Don't add things.

Comment all you like on the basis of what is given, but anything more as far as an account of what has happened than what you can get directly comes from the media falls into two categories:

1. Hearsay and conjecture you should keep quiet about.
2. Stuff you should tell the Gardai investigating this case about, and then keep quiet about so as to not interfer in their investigation.

The consequences otherwise could potentialy be very bad for both this website, and potentially for any correct outcome of any trial that follows a prosecution.

It would be a shame to have to totally curtail discussion on this, one of the most shocking things to happen in the region this forum is for in some time, but the very fact of this being such a grave matter means it requires more caution in what is said than most other threads.

Baby4

This post has been deleted.

Talliesin

Please do. I want to censor this discussion as little as possible, but please keep "facts" to something you can source.

If a Garda Supt. says "we've arrested so-and-so" you can say "so-and-so was arrested according to the Garda Supt. on Today FM" and so on. If a Today FM presenter says "I heard it was so-and-so" then that's for Today FM's legal team to worry about, not me, I'm going to snip it if it gets repeated and siteban if people persist. As a general guideline, if an actual news program rather than discussion program says it, then post away.

No doubt some of the things I've snipped are indeed true, are going to become a matter of public record, and will then be allowable on this site.

Dispite what some people on Feedback seem to believe, every moderator would generally like to have discussion as open as possible on this website. I'm asking people to be careful in what they post precisely because I would rather you were able let the discussion continue than delete the whole thing.

Baby4

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Maharet

Apparently there are a lot of people gathered up in Ballybricken outside the Garda station, the place is packed. Anyone know why, I imagine it's to do with the Meg Walsh case, are they waiting on a Garda statement, there's media there too, cameras and all. Anyone any definete idea what the crowds are about?

EDIT: Just said on the news they had released the person without charge.

Mr Ed

The people waiting at the station were probably there until about 9 this evening as the Gardai had until then to charge or release the man who was in his forties.

Although i doubt the gardai would just let him walk out the front door when released.

Maharet

Mr Ed wrote:

The people waiting at the station were probably there until about 9 this evening as the Gardai had until then to charge or release the man who was in his forties.

Although i doubt the gardai would just let him walk out the front door when released.

Yeah indeed, they can't let people know who it was since he hasn't been charged.

kilkennycat2004

from breaking news.ie

Meg Walsh case: Man released
20/10/2006 - 22:11:02



Gardaí have tonight released without charge the man arrested in connection with the murder of mother-of-one Margaret “Meg” Walsh.

The 40-year-old man was questioned by detectives for 12 hours at Waterford Garda station before being released.

The 35-year-old victim’s battered body was found floating in the River Suir, near Waterford’s quay on Sunday.

Ms Walsh, originally from Killavullen, near Mallow, north Cork, had been missing for a fortnight when her remains were discovered. She was buried yesterday.

A post-mortem examination showed she died from head injuries following a severe beating with an implement.

Earlier this week, detectives said they had narrowed their search for the prime suspect, revealing they knew who dumped her silver Mitsubishi Carisma car at a pub more than a mile from her home.

BIG-SLICK-POKER

http://www.evening-herald.ie/irish_independent/frontpagepdfs/2006/14795.pdf


The evening hearld and the irish independent reported that it was her husband brought in for questioning "john o brien"..... front page story so thats the legality side of naming the man on the heralds part , again there is no law to protect a mans identity after being questioned for murder under the freedom of information act .....Even though he was released without charge ...

I was actually up there for the duration before the news broke that he was not being charged and a frenzy took place as his sister left through the front door as they realised he was exiting out the back ... A White coloured stationwagon left the back entrance with 1 occupant in the back but the blacked out windows made it impossible 2 see if it was him .....

Again as i said in previous threads U are innocent until proven guilty ...Im sure that would have been a gruelling 12 hrs of police interviews but they must not have concrete evidence at this stage .....

I just hope for the families sake they can get a small bit of closure on the case

mike65

I figured it was the hubby who was being questioned. Which just ups the 'intrigue' factor. Still we better be careful. One threads got deleted already.

Mike.

Gadgie

I was actually up there for the duration before the news broke that he was not being charged and a frenzy took place as his sister left through the front door as they realised he was exiting out the back ... A White coloured stationwagon left the back entrance with 1 occupant in the back but the blacked out windows made it impossible 2 see if it was him .....

Do ye not have better things to do with your lives instead of waiting outside Garda stations to hurl abuse at murder suspects?

Mossy Monk

BIG-SLICK-POKER wrote:

Again as i said in previous threads U are innocent until proven guilty ...Im sure that would have been a gruelling 12 hrs of police interviews but they must not have concrete evidence at this stage .....

you contradict yourself in one sentence, well done
i do hope you get a life soon instead of standing outside Garda stations waiting to abuse people

Aquos76

Mossy Monk wrote:

you contradict yourself in one sentence, well done
i do hope you get a life soon instead of standing outside Garda stations waiting to abuse people

In all fairness mossy, for all we may know, he may be a relation or a close friend of the late Meg Walsh and if that was the case, I would feel he would have every right to be up outside the Garda station to see if the man been questioned was going to be charged or released.

Mossy Monk

if that is the case Aquos i do take back what i said

BIG-SLICK-POKER

Mossy Monk wrote:

you contradict yourself in one sentence, well done
i do hope you get a life soon instead of standing outside Garda stations waiting to abuse people

Gadgie wrote:

Do ye not have better things to do with your lives instead of waiting outside Garda stations to hurl abuse at murder suspects?

I was in the tap room for a few so it was hard to miss the 500 strong crowd outside not that its anyones buisness and secondly to Mossy "Nothing to do with our lives" u say when u have close to 14,000 posts on this forum same could be said to urself ......


Again this is a thread on a sensitive matter and i dont like the way people pick on the small things like why i was outside the garda staion , Just typical Waterford jumping to conclusions before they ask ... Same as the other day on the Day of questioning Waterford had names of people i know who apparately brought in for questioning when none of it was true ....Funnily enough i actaully got a call in the bookies next earlier that day sayin such and so was arrested and being quetioned , The guy in question was in the bookies at the time just goes to prove People in Waterford Jump straight in without knowing Facts
Ye shld ask why i was up there before jumping to conclusions we were actually havin a pint before a poker tournament in Blazing aces u will end up being nosy as the whole pub was trying to see what was going on not that i should have to explain myself ...

I am not a relation to anyone involved in this case just to clarify ....

Mossy Monk

BIG-SLICK-POKER wrote:

and secondly to Mossy "Nothing to do with our lives" u say when u have close to 14,000 posts on this forum same could be said to urself ......

yeah an average of 7 posts per day constitutes having no life :rolleyes: if i was awake for say 16 hours a day every one of the days i am registered here that equates to little over 2 posts per hour. also to add in the fact that i spend my working day in front of a pc. it is quite easy to rack up a lot of posts. so perhaps you should take your own advice and not jump to conclusions

Dan133269

Mossy Monk wrote:

you contradict yourself in one sentence, well done
i do hope you get a life soon instead of standing outside Garda stations waiting to abuse people

I don't understand you Mossy, how do you mean he contradicted himself in that sentence?

Baby4

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Roen

According to the Irish Independent the Gardaí are still looking for the murder weapon, according to the Daily Irish Mail (rag) the murder weapon (wheel brace) has been found and has been shipped off to England for specialised testing.
God knows which one is correct, or maybe the Indo just didn't have that info at the time of going to press.

Baby4

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mike65

Why pull the husband if they are still waiting on DNA? That makes little sense on the face of it.

Mike.

ToxicPaddy

There are a million and one rumours circulating at the moment about the murder victim, the husband and an alleged accomplice. I've heard 4 different stories about the possible murder weapon, 3 of who the killer could be and a dozen reasons as to why she was killed. None of which I'm gonna go into.

But from what I've seen most of the newspapers, especially those at the lower end of the scale (tabloid rags), they seem quite happy to speculate and just generally make wild guesses at whats going on. :rolleyes:

I'm fairly surprised that they are allowed say what half of them are saying without some sort of legal action being taken against them.

At this stage, I'm just ignoring anything I see in the newspapers about the case as most if it is just a load of b*ll*x

Tox

deisemum

Yesterday's Sunday Independent and today's Irish Independent have named who was arrested. They also mention the Gardai are concerned that it will affect the case.

The Gardai have been going door to door in my road and knocked on our door this evening. We hadn't any info to offer.

BIG-SLICK-POKER

GARDAI hunting the brutal killer of Margaret 'Meg' Walsh (35) have obtained "significant and pertinent" background information on the prime suspect following detailed overseas inquiries.

Detectives have conducted inquiries on the Continent with an individual well-known to the prime suspect - who has been able to give details on the person's background, temperament and pattern of previous behaviour.

The Irish Independent understands that the information provided has been "stark and revealing" - and largely corroborates information already provided to gardai from several of Meg's friends who were deeply concerned about her welfare in the weeks prior to her death.

Garda sources indicated that the material will be central to a file already being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Gardai are determined to locate the murder weapon - and specialised metal-scanning detectors will be used to examine sections of the River Suir bed in Waterford where it is believed to have been dumped by the killer.

Exhaustive searches of the river bottom by garda divers last week - including hand-by-hand trawls of the river mud - failed to reveal the hammer or mallet-type weapon suspected to have been used.

Yesterday, Supt Sheehan declined to comment on various Sunday newspaper reports about the murder probe - emphatically refusing to discuss computer seizures or information derived from Meg's home.

Supt Sheehan said that, following the arrest of a man last Friday for questioning in connection with the killing, gardai would not be commenting further on matters relating to the case. However, a source has admitted gardai are deeply concerned about newspaper reports - fearing that the media attention will have a negative impact on the case.

It is understood a second arrest in the case is unlikely until a UK laboratory processes all the forensic DNA samples obtained over the past fortnight.


Information provided has been 'stark and revealing' and corroborates details already

provided by Meg's friends


These results may take at least seven more days to process and a second arrest will not occur until then.

Meg Walsh was buried in her native Killavullen, near Mallow in north Cork, last Thursday. In his eulogy, her only sibling James described her as "a gorgeous, sweet, caring woman" who was known for her selflessness.

In a press conference prior to the discovery of Ms Walsh's body, her only child Sasha (17) said Meg was "a very happy woman, a great mother, a great wife". Investigating gardai believe Meg's body was dumped in the River Suir in Waterford on October 1. Her naked and badly decomposed body was recovered from the River Suir on October 15, two weeks after she disappeared after a night out with friends at the Woodlands Hotel in Waterford city.

Initial media reports that the body was or had been wrapped in carpet were subsequently dismissed by gardai.

Apart from the murder weapon, garda divers are searching for Meg's missing car keys and her grey/black Motorola mobile phone. Meanwhile, it is understood gardai made significant progress in the case through examination of CCTV footage of Ms Walsh's car at various locations in Waterford city after the last confirmed sighting of Meg at 6am on October 1. Investigating officers are now awaiting results of specialised DNA forensic tests by a laboratory in Birmingham.

Ms Walsh's husband John O'Brien was released without charge last Friday after being questioned for 12 hours at Ballybricken Station in Waterford in connection with his wife's death.

Olivia Kelleher

Gadgie

BIG-SLICK-POKER wrote:

I was in the tap room for a few so it was hard to miss the 500 strong crowd outside

500 strong? Definitely not a baying mob then, no siree.