Family of man who was hacked to death in front of them have file on case sent to DPP

Olivia Kelleher

Gardaí investigating the murder of a father of two who was hacked to death in front of his family in 2018 have thanked a coroner for his “patience” after they were granted a 14th adjournment of the case so they can get instructions on a murder file from the DPP.

Father of two Mikolaj Wilk (35) was murdered at a property in Maglin Bridge, Ballincollig, Co Cork in the early hours of June 20th, 2018.

Several masked men entered the house and hacked him repeatedly in the presence of his wife, Elzbieta. She sustained injuries as she tried to come to his aid.

The couple's young children were also in the property. They were not injured. However, they did witness the attack.

On Thursday at Cork City Coroner's Court, Sgt Fergus Twomey applied for, and was granted, an adjournment of the inquest into Mr Wilk's death until November 15th.

He told Cork City Coroner, Philip Comyn, that a file on the matter had been sent to the DPP.

“This was a mammoth investigation with thousands of tasks and inquiries both within the State and in European countries, with assistance from other police forces. A comprehensive investigation file has been forwarded to the DPP seeking directions.”

A number of people have been arrested and released without charge in connection with the death of the father of two. Those arrested include Latvian, Polish and Irish nationals.

They were arrested on suspicion of facilitating and supporting an organised crime gang, whom gardaí suspect were behind the murder of Mr Wilk.

A number of raids were carried out in the summer of 2019 as part of the Garda probe. Vehicles were also seized.

The Wilk family returned to Poland in the aftermath of the tragedy. The funeral ceremony for Mikolaj was conducted there.

Elzbieta required hospitalisation in Cork after the murder. She underwent surgery on her tendons at Cork University Hospital.

She was visited in hospital by the then Bishop of Cork and Ross, Dr John Buckley, who extended his sympathy to her following her loss.

Members of the Polish community also held remembrance masses in the wake of the death. The couple had been based in Ireland for over ten years and were due to celebrate their seventh wedding anniversary.

Mr Wilk ran a gardening service in the area where he lived and was not known to the authorities.