The victim, a US national who was in his 60s, had only flown into Ireland a number of hours before he was allegedly attacked in a bathroom of the exclusive Ballyfin Demesne hotel in Co Laois. The incident happened at around 8pm on Tuesday night. Hotel staff discovered the man’s body and emergency services quickly rushed to the scene and the suspect was arrested.
The suspect, who is in his 30s, required medical treatment in hospital in the aftermath of his arrest. He was not deemed fit to be interviewed by gardai until late Wednesday morning. Investigations have established that the suspect had recently required treatment for medical issues at a hospital in Dublin.
It is unclear where he met his alleged victim earlier on Tuesday after the man had flown into the country from the US. But both men then checked in together into the well-known Co Laois hotel where the fatal assault happened. It is understood that the assault was “sustained” in nature.
The case is being described as “extremely tragic”. The services of the Garda Technical Bureau and Office of the State Pathologist were requested. The hotel is one of Ireland’s most exclusive accommodation options, with celebrities regularly staying in the luxury hotel.
Ballyfin hit global headlines in 2014 after celebrity couple Kim Kardashian and Kanye West stayed there as part of their five-day Irish honeymoon. There was deep shock in the local community on Wednesday as news of the tragic death spread. The owner of the D.
