Tony Dempsey Dublin

Tony Dempsey (28) had sustained head injuries consistent with assault.

When he was arrested for the assault he was armed with an axe and had jewellery and car and house keys on his possession that he had just stolen from a house in Terenure. Mr Dempsey had been staying with a relative in Co Donegal when the assault occurred but had had 28 different addresses, which the court was told indicated his ‘transient nature’. When gardai arrived on the scene they followed a trail of blood from the ambulance where the victim, who was stabbed, was being treated found the scene of the assault. The court was told Mr Dempsey had just spend months in a drugs rehabilitation centre at the time and had spent three quarters of his life either in care or incarcerated. The alarm was raised on Monday evening and when gardaí and paramedics went to the address they discovered Mr Dempsey’s body on the floor in a bedroom. The vulnerable tenant, who was previously homeless, had been placed in the property over 18 months ago by the Peter McVerry Trust as part of a housing project run in conjunction with Dublin City Council.

Murder victim Tony Dempsey is a classic example of someone who fell through the cracks of society.

He was also knifed in the back twice. He had been in and out of foster homes since he was a young boy. The victim was hospitalised for his injuries. Gardaí were called to the scene. Tony was also carrying stolen house and car keys and other items he thieved from the house including a screwdriver and silver necklace. In July 2013, he was involved in a shocking incident in which a man was viciously stabbed.

Detectives believe Mr Dempsey, who was originally from Inchicore, Dublin 7, was among a group of drug users who were “coming and going” from the flat.

In recent months the tenant had lost control of the flat as drug users and homeless people called to it and gained entry. There were reports of large numbers of callers, often in the early hours, and gardaí believe Mr Dempsey was among them and was fatally assaulted by others he was in the property with around the start of last week. Detectives believe Mr Dempsey, who was originally from Inchicore, Dublin 7, was among a group of drug users who were “coming and going” from the flat after the vulnerable tenant living there had lost control of the property.

Gardaí are investigating the death of a young man whose body was discovered in a flat complex in north inner city Dublin. It's understood that the man's ...

The scene has been preserved since the discovery of the body on Tuesday. It’s understood that the man’s body lay in a flat on Coleraine Street for up to a week before it was reported. Gardaí are investigating the death of a young man whose body was discovered in a flat complex in north inner city Dublin.

Gardaí suspect the motive for the murder of a man found dead in a flat in Dublin's north inner c...

It’s understood Mr Dempseys body was in the flat for a week as people came and went. The man whose body was found in a flat in Dublin yesterday has been named as 28-year-old Tony Dempsey. Gardaí suspect the motive for the murder of a man found dead in a flat in Dublin's north inner city could be drug-related.

The body of 28-year-old Tony Dempsey was found on Monday.

PMVT also increased staff visits to the property" it added. He added: "Staff visited the property daily, including over the weekend, and they had no indication or evidence that someone was deceased at the property or in the vicinity. "The tenant in the property matched the Housing First criteria and was successfully accommodated in the property over 18 months ago", the charity said. "This process was being carried out in line with the rights of the tenant. "Unfortunately, the tenancy began to break down over recent months as the tenant was struggling to manage the front door and individuals, who had no interest in the property or the tenant's recovery, were gaining entry to and using the property. "My heart and my sympathies go out to the family of Mr Dempsey.