Gardai pursued suspect across city

Immediately after last night’s fatal stabbing of Mairead Moran in Market Cross, Gardai in Kilkenny launched a manhunt across the city.

Shortly after the incident around 8.30pm, they managed to locate a taxi which it is believed the suspect took from the city centre out to Loughboy. A 27-year-old man was arrested and the taxi was taken away for forensic examination.

The suspect, who was not previously known to Gardai, was brought to Kilkenny Garda Station.

Gardai have now begun the process of trawling through CCTV footage from the shopping centre, which has a number of high-resolution cameras monitoring and recording activity. The footage has reportedly shown the suspect being asked to leave the premises by a member of staff working in the centre, before he returned to attack the victim who was trying to close the shop door.

The suspect remains in custody at Kilkenny Garda Station where he is being held under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.