Son arrested over death of father at top five-star Laois hotel popular with celebrities
A man in his 30s was arrested and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in the Eastern Region
A man was arrested over the death of his father in a lavish Laois hotel on Tuesday night.
At 8pm, gardaí were alerted to an incident at Ballyfin Demesne, where a man in his 60s was found deceased.
A man in his 30s was arrested and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in the Eastern Region. He can be questioned for up to 24 hours, excluding breaks, and then must be charged or released.
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It’s understood that the victim and the detained man are both US tourists who were staying in the hotel.
Sources say the younger man had allegedly been having an erratic episode at the hotel.
It’s understood that an area inside the hotel was sealed off as a crime scene.
Gardaí are investigating “all the circumstances surrounding the death”. The Garda Technical Bureau and Office of the State Pathologist have been requested.
A garda spokesperson added: “A Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) has also been appointed to lead the investigation and an incident room has been established at Portlaoise Garda Station. A Family Liaison Officer (FLO) will be appointed to support the family of the deceased.”
Ballyfin Demesne is a luxury five-star hotel set in a 614-acre estate near the Slieve Bloom mountains. It can cost upwards of €1,400 a night and has been a popular destination for celebrities, including Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.
Local Councillor James Kelly said the tragic death is a “total shock” to the community.
He said: "I want to thank the emergency service, the fire service, the Gardai and the health services for being there so quickly.
"We also have to remember and think about the staff as well because some staff member obviously would have come upon that.
"It's shock from the community, there would be a lot of staff that are from the area as well and I've been speaking to a couple of parents of their children who are working there and they are totally shocked at what has happened.
"And as I said it's something that we didn't think we'd be waking up to this morning."
He added: "I know the Gardai will do what they have to do and it's just unfortunate that it happened but our thoughts are with everybody involved."
Local Fianna Fáil Councillor Seamus McDonald said the news this morning was a shock, as the hotel has a great reputation across the globe.
He added: “It’s nice country people up there, it gives people great employment, it’s a good spot.”
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