Man's body found in cold storage unit by shop worker
The scene in Galway where a body was found.
Thursday June 14 2007
A GARDA investigation has been launched after the body of a man was found in a fridge in Galway city.
The grim discovery was made yesterday afternoon in a small building that is used as a freezer unit to store fish.
Gardai are treating the death as suspicious but there is no indication as to how the man met his death or how long the body had been there.
Initially, it could not be established whether the body was that of a man or woman, but it emerged last night that the deceased was a male.
The identity of the man has not been established. Neither has his nationality.
The discovery was made by a person attached to a fish shop which uses the unit at the rear of St John's Avenue in the city centre.
The area was immediately sealed off by gardai from the nearby Mill Street Station.
A number of laneways and roads were also cordoned off and gardai maintained a presence outside the premises overnight.
The body of the man was being kept in the cold storage unit overnight until the arrival this morning of State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy to carry out a post mortem.
The Garda Technical Bureau was also called in to examine the scene.
The cold storage unit is located behind a number of buildings, just off Henry Street.
The area is one of the oldest in the city with a number of shops interspersed among the rows of terraced houses.
Supt Tom Curley said they received a call at about 2.30pm that a body had been discovered in a cold storage unit.
"Gardai went to the scene and the unit was sealed off pending the arrival of the State Pathologist and the Garda Technical Bureau.
"An investigation has been launched but there are very few details at this stage," he said.
Gardai were not in a position to say if there were visible injuries on the man's body, he added.
Local shopkeepers said they were shocked to learn of the discovery of the body. The area, which is located a few minutes walk from the city centre, is very busy during the day.
- John Fallon
