Gardaí have completed their investigation into the murder of a man (35) who was killed by a machete-wielding gang in front of his wife and children in Co Cork more than six years ago.
Polish national Mikolaj Wilk, who was known as Nick, was attacked by up to five masked men armed with machetes when they burst into his home, the Bridge House, at Maglin near Ballincollig at about 3am on June 10th, 2018.
Mr Wilk, a landscape gardener and father of two, was repeatedly hacked in front of his wife, Elzbieta, who sustained serious injuries to her hands as she sought to protect her husband from his attackers. The couple’s two children, who were both under six at the time, were uninjured.
A woman in her 30s, who was renting a room from the Wilks, managed to flee through a window at the rear of the house and ran to a nearby house to raise the alarm. Gardaí found Mr Wilk bleeding heavily and in a critical condition.
Gardaí and HSE paramedics, who arrived soon after, worked to try and stabilise Mr Wilk’s condition before he was taken to Cork University Hospital. He died two hours later.
On Thursday at Cork City Coroner’s Court, Sgt Fergus Twomey told coroner Philip Comyn that the Garda investigation into the murder of Mr Wilk had been “complex with an international aspect” but he could confirm that it had now been completed.
“The investigation has concluded, and the file is at an advanced stage and will be forwarded to the DPP shortly,” said Sgt Twomey as he applied under Section 25 of the Coroner’s Act to have the inquest adjourned until May 15th, 2025, for mention to allow for the DPP’s instructions in the matter.
Sgt Twomey said gardaí would keep the coroner’s office informed of any developments in the case before then.
Mr Comyn granted the application and adjourned the matter until next May for mention only “to see how the DPP has progressed the case”.
Mr Wilk’s inquest was first opened on November 1st, 2018, when Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster said Mr Wilk had died from shock and haemorrhage due to multiple blows from sharp weapons in association with a traumatic brain injury.
It is understood the Garda focus has been on an eastern European criminal gang that gardaí believe carried out the attack with logistics support from people in Cork who sourced a car for the gang.
Detectives were quick to follow up on reports from Cork City Fire Brigade at about 4.20am on the morning of the murder that a BMW 3 series car was on fire at Iniskenny, Ballinora, Waterfall, some 6km from the fatal assault, and they quickly began tracing ownership of the car.
Gardaí have to date arrested six people in connection with the murder – an Irish man and Irish woman both in their 30s, two Latvians and two Poles, all of whom were arrested at various locations in Cork in 2019 and all of whom were released without charge.
Mr Wilk’s widow returned to Poland with her children later in June 2018. No member of the family was at the inquest hearing.
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