Latest: Post-mortem reveals Mikolaj Wilk died of multiple injuries
- Man who was hacked to death in his home outside Ballincolling, Cork, named as Mikolaj 'Nik' Wilk (aged 35)
- His partner Elzbieta suffered head and face injuries and has lost power in three of her fingers after attack
- The couple's two young children and another woman were in the house, but not injured
- A gang of up to four men broke into their home
- A car was found burned out in Waterfall
- A firearm has been found in burned out car in Waterfall
- A post-mortem examination revealed that Mikolaj Wilk died of multiple injuries
A post-mortem examination has been carried out by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster on the body of 35-year old Mikolaj Wilk who died during an attack on his home in Ballincollig, Co Cork, in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Mikolaj Wilk died of multiple injuries which gardaí have said included stab wounds.
Mr Wilk's wife, Elzbieta, is being treated in hospital and awaiting hand surgery following a loss of power in three of her fingers.
She sustained face and hand injuries in the attack.
Gardaí have recovered a firearm from the car that was found burned out in Waterfall, around 6kms from the scene of the murder of Mikolaj 'Nik' Wilk in Ballincollig, Co. Cork, yesterday.
Officers found the firearm after a technical examination of the BMW car found in Iniskenny, Ballinora, Waterfall.
They will send it on for further examination.
The scene at The Bridge House, Maglin, Ballincollig is still cordoned off for a technical examination and officers are carrying out house-to-house inquiries.
Speaking at Gurranabraher Garda Station today, Superintendent Colm O'Sullivan said: "We are continuing to appeal to anyone with information or to anyone who may have witnessed this incident.
Any drivers who may have dash cam footage and travelled in the Maglin, Ballincollig, Ballinora and Waterfall areas between 2am and 5am on the 10th June 2018.
"If anyone noticed any suspicious or unusual activities in these areas in the days leading up to the incident, to contact Gurranabraher Garda Station on 021- 4946200, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
A post mortem on Mr Wilk's body is being carried out by the State Pathologist.
A friend of the late Polish father of two, Mikolaj Wilk, has said that the Polish community in Co. Cork is terrified after yesterday’s attack in Ballincollig.
Speaking this morning to Patricia Messinger on C103’s Cork Today show family friend Aga Deryng said that Mikolaj’s wife, Elizbieta, is undergoing surgery for the injuries she suffered in the attack.
Aga says heartbroken Elizbieta has lost power in three of her fingers and is badly injured to her head and face.
Aga said: “All of us can be with her here and support her as much as we can and be with her at all times and not to let her be on her own with her own thoughts.
“You don’t want to know what’s going on in her head at the moment.”
Mikel and Elizbieta’s children, who are aged four and five, are being looked after by another family who are in a position to care for them at this time.
The couple have been living in Ireland for around 12 years, and Aga said that Ireland is their home.
She said: “They have their business here, they have their children going to an Irish school.
This was their home, but I don’t think it’s going to be anymore, we’re all terrified now.
“To be honest we have no idea what happened, everybody is asking what happened and why, but nobody knows the answers. We’re just completely surprised by it.
“They are a wonderful family, Mikel was a generous, great, great helpful man with a very warm heart, so I can’t imagine why they have attacked just them.”
A friend of the late Polish father of two, Mikolaj Wilk, who was murdered in Co Cork over the weekend has said she is devastated at the savage death of a "good guy".
Aga Deryng has set up a Go Fund Me page for his wife and two young children.
Ms Deryng was speaking to the 96FM Opinion Line, from Cork University Hospital, where she is helping Elzbieta Wilk who was injured when a gang of up to four men entered her home in Maglin Bridge outside Ballincollig at 3am on Sunday armed with machetes and other weapons.
Ms Deryng told host, PJ Coogan, that she couldn't believe the dreadful fate that her friend "Nik" had been dealt in life.
"Everybody is in total shock. You can't describe that. I am trying to ask the Polish and Irish community to help to donate to help them out.
"That is all we can do. We do have a good circle of friends around but we would ask even strangers to help out. Me and my husband know them years.
"They are living here 12 years. They are a quiet family.
He is a loving husband and a really caring man.
"He always minded the kids. He was always around them trying to raise them as best he could. It is going to be a huge loss."
Ms Deryng said Elzbieta and Nik came to Ireland together over a decade ago and wed in 2011. She stated she couldn't think of any reason for the vicious assault on him.
"We are in total shock. We don't know. I have no idea. He was a really good guy. He was so helpful. You could just call him and he would arrive at your door. He wasn't a bad man at all. I am so surprised that this happened.
"We are trying to help. I am pretty sure (the kids) heard a lot of it but they hid them in the other room. The other lady in the house was renting a room. She was able to escape by the back window and get down to the neighbours."
Mr WIlk was known locally as quiet unassuming man who had been running his gardening business H&G Services for a number of years.
Sources indicate that he had a strong work ethic and did gardening, painting and power hosing work in the local and wider community.
He and his wife Elzbieta were due to celebrate their seventh wedding anniversary in late June. Whilst living in Poland Mikolaj studied at Kujawsko Pomorska Szkola Wyzsza.
A woman called Helen Queally Murphy told 96FM that Nik did work for her and was a thorough gentleman.
"You genuinely could not meet a nicer man. He did a lot of stuff without even being asked.
We knew Nik was a very solid, unassuming caring man. He was so courteous.
"He was a neat as a new pin. He remembered all my kids names. It is so hard to believe that this lovely man is gone in such a horrible inhumane fashion."
Ballincollig Parish Priest, Fr George O'Mahony, said this morning that the family remained in the prayers of the parish at this dreadful time.
A post mortem examination is due to take place this morning on the body of Mikolaj Wilk, a Polish man who was fatally assaulted in a house in Co. Cork yesterday.
A car was found burnt out several kilometres away in Waterfall.
Forensic examinations of both scenes were initiated and Gardaí are appealing for information.
The 35-year-old Polish man was found with serious injuries when Gardaí arrived at The Bridge House, Maglin, Ballincollig between 3.15am and 3.30am yesterday morning.
His assailants had fled the scene.
Mikolaj Wilk, a gardener originally from Poland, died of his wounds at Cork University Hospital after the attack which left emergency services sickened by the crime scene.
Mr Wilk’s wife Elzbieta, who is in her early 30s, lost at least one finger and had to undergo emergency surgery after the attack in which up to four men entered their home at around 3am.
It is believed that her injuries were a result of attempts to protect herself or her husband, rather than a deliberate attempt to cut off her fingers.
At about 4:20am less than 6km away a car was discovered on fire at Iniskenny, Ballinora, Waterfall.
The couple’s two children, both aged under six, and another women in her 30s — believed to be renting a room in the house — were also at home but were physically unharmed.
The children were in the care of social workers last night while their mother was treated in hospital.
Gardaí found a firearm, possibly a handgun, and two machetes in a burnt-out car that was used by the gang. They believe the car was a BMW 3 series.
The men, who are not thought to be Polish, broke into the Wilks’ family home at Maglin, outside Ballincollig, at around 3am as the couple slept in bed.
Gardaí arrived within five minutes of being called to what is said to have been a horrific scene, where they provided medical assistance to the couple until an ambulance arrived to take both victims to hospital.
They are appealing to anyone with information to contact them - in particular, drivers who may have dash cam footage and who travelled in the Maglin, Ballincollig, Ballinora and Waterfall areas between 2am and 5am yesterday morning.
A post mortem on Mr Wilk's body will take place this morning.
The Polish chaplain in Cork has said that the late Mikolaj Wilk, his wife Elzbieta and their two young children will feature in the thoughts and prayers of the community.
Fr Piotr Galus said the death of the Polish gardener was a "savage" crime.
"I didn't know the man personally but I can say that we will involve those people in our prayers. We will pray for the family.
''We will offer any support we can to the family. For the father of a family to be murdered in his home. This is a crime with no nationalities. Anyone could be a victim of this."
Gardaí have said that there is no known motive for the stabbing to death of Mr Wilk (35) and the injuring of his wife Elzbieta who is also in her thirties.
The men entered the house armed with weapons including machetes. The husband and wife lived in a bungalow at Bridge House, Maglin Bridge, Ballincollig, Co Cork with their two children who are under the age of six.
Mikolaj, whom friends called "Nik", was known locally for running a gardening business and had lived in Ireland for at least five years.
Speaking at a press conference outside the house where the attack occurred, Superintendent Colm O'Sullivan said gardai responded to the incident at 3.17am this morning and were on the scene in less than five minutes.
The assailants had fled the area at this point in a car.
On arrival, gardaí found that Mr Wilk had life-threatening injuries. He was rushed to Cork University Hospital (CUH) where he died shortly after 5am.
Elzbieta is being treated in CUH for non life-threatening injuries. A second woman in her thirties and the couple's children, all of whom were in the house, were not harmed in the incident.
Supt O'Sullivan said it was tragic to see a man leave a wife, family and friends behind in such circumstances.
"Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time. We are appealing for any information the public may have.
''This morning people would have been returning from a night out or going to or from work.
''If you noticed anything in the Maglin, Ballincollig, Ballinora or Waterfall areas please contact An Garda Siochana. We are appealing to taxi drivers who may have been dropping or collecting people in those areas to contact us. We are appealing to any person who may have a Dashcam in their car and travels in these areas to contact us."
Supt O'Sullivan said it was a busy road and junction and that someone must have witnessed unusual activity.
"They must have witnessed something. It may appear to someone as quite significant but to us it could be significant. It is early in the investigation.
''We are appealing to the public. We believe there might be up to four people involved."
Gardai said they were unable rule motives in or out with Supt O'Sullivan adding that it was a "tragic incident."
Meanwhile, Southern Correspondent for TV3, Paul Byrne, who knew the deceased through his gardening work, said that Mr Wilk was the "salt of the earth."
"He couldn't do more for you. He was a hard worker."
