Two fraudsters carried the corpse of an elderly man, aged 66 years old to a Post Office in an attempt to collect his pension.
Irish police are looking into whether Peadar Doyle (an elderly man) may not have been alive for at least two days before yesterday’s attack.
They had placed a jumper and a hat over the heads of Mr Doyle by fraudsters.
The men were both in their 30s and went to the post office. They tried to obtain the money, but the staff said they had to send Mr Doyle or his next-of-kin.
After that, they allegedly went to Mr Doyle’s house and took him on a walk along the public footpath. Then they tried again to claim his pension.
The appearance of the man led to concern among employees at Hosey’s Shop in County Carlow about his health. She asked him whether he was feeling unwell.
It is believed that the men informed her of a heart attack by Mr Doyle and then laid his body down on the ground.
Gardaí and an ambulance were called as events yesterday unfolded and the men stayed at the post office, making no attempt to escape, according to the Sunday World.
Locals described Doyle as being quiet, reserved and charming.
Pictured: Gardaí take Peadar Doyle’s body from Hosey’s shop in County Carlow, Ireland after fraudsters allegedly tried to claim Mr Doyle’s pension yesterday morning, putting a jumper over his face and a hat on his head
A woman claimed that her daughter witnessed the men carrying a man to the post office.
She spoke to The Irish Independent and said the man was unwell, that his feet were “dragging the ground”, and she felt sorry for him.
The queue was long outside the postal office, and initially people thought that the man was suffering from a heart attack.
She stated that she felt terrible for the staff. My 12-year-old daughter is my caregiver. I am trying to tell her about the events and where to start. It’s awful.’
It is understood that the men told Gardaí Mr Doyle was alive when he was brought into the post office.
Staff were asked by the men if Mr Doyle was suffering from a heart attack. They then placed the body on a ground. Pictured: Gardaí outside the shop in County Carlow yesterday
Both men were interviewed and gave statements by Gardai, but no arrests have yet been made.
The Gardaí are investigating if Mr Doyle died at a nearby property of natural causes.
The incident has shocked neighbours and residents of Mr Doyle.
One person described him as a “lovely neighbor” and the other said that it was a “sad night” and a “shock.”
Mayor of Carlow, Ken Murnane, said: ‘I was absolutely shocked to hear about what happened.
I can’t believe someone would do that. It’s unbelievable, it’s just shocking.
A Garda spokesperson said Gardaí are investigating all the circumstances surrounding the unexplained death of an elderly male in the Carlow area on Friday morning.
They said: ‘The services of the Garda Technical Bureau and the Office of the State Pathologist have been requested,’
“A post-mortem will take place by the Office of the State Pathologist. The results will decide the direction of the investigation.
“No additional information is currently available.”
Although no arrests have yet been made, both men were interviewed by Gardai to obtain statements. Photograph: Gardai conduct investigations on the scene yesterday