Last night at about 8pm, we heard of another knife murder, this time in Arklow, Co Wicklow.

A month before Christmas another family left distraught

A murderous thug takes a knife and pushes it in the heart of a Godfearing, good living local shopkeeper.

The businessman's life taken in a savage moment of intense stupidity

This murderer must be caught, as he is now in a highly dangerous state and could do more damage.

I am sickened that another family are left reeling at the loss of a loved one, and I must ask 'why?'

Explanations

Why did this thug need to do it? We will probably get some criminologists offering mealy mouthed explanations. I say to them, get off the stage.

Where did this murderer get the knife? Was it at home or did he find it, or buy it?

It strikes me as the most backward situation I have seen in recent times that knives, swords and other weapons of life-destruction can be on display for sale, and yet cigarettes have to be hidden from the public eye.

As members of the public meet and discuss this desperate tragedy they must keep their ears and eyes open, because no doubt someone knows who committed this murder. Please pass on to the Gardai what you have heard and will hear over the coming hours and days.

My friend and former colleague, Chief Superintendent Tom Conway, will lead his team from the first moment after being notified -- and I am confident that this murderer will be caught very soon.

They already have a strong lead in the eyewitness accounts, which show the killer to be about 6ft 4in tall.

The scene has been sealed off and the forensic scenes of crime investigators will carry out a centimetre-by-centimetre examination of the shop and extended area.

The State Pathologists will by now have given the definitive cause of death after the post-mortem examination.

Today also the house-to-house questionnaires will be completed while any passers-by on the street will be asked what help they can give.

The Garda investigation team will scour the area for CCTV, to help in the identification of this thug.

Investigation

An incident room has now been set up and every piece of information will be scrutinised and analysed by people experienced in that line of investigation.

A family liaison officer has been appointed to sit with the bereaved and mostly listen. That officer will also update the family of how the investigation is progressing on an hourly basis.

Once again, I offer my heart felt sympathy to the Deasey family -- not that sympathy is going to solve this murder of their loved one, a husband, a father and a friend.

This murder will be solved by tenacious investigation which is guaranteed, and the help of the public who must now say 'stop'.