`A View To A Kill` cast member murdered after disturbing home intruder

Celine Cawley, who appeared in the 1985 James Bond film "A View To A Kill", was murdered yesterday after she disturbed an intruder at her home in an exclusive area of north Dublin.

She was found with serious head injuries on the patio at the back of her house on Howth Head and died less than an hour later in hospital. There was no sign of a break-in at the luxury address and no weapon has been recovered, reports the Daily Mail.

It is understood the mother-of-one suffered head injuries in the attack that happened around 10am. It is believed the 46-year-old's husband had been out for most of the morning after taking their teenage daughter to school.

He arrived home after a morning walk with the family dog to find his wife lying unconscious and chased the attacker from the hillside property.

Detectives believe the man escaped by running through the back garden and out into a laneway.

Ms Cawley was well known in media and advertising circles in Ireland after building her Toytown Films company into one of the country's most high profile production houses.

Colleagues tonight said they were stunned by her horrific murder.

'We are all incredibly shocked,' a spokesman for the firm said before appealing for privacy.

Gardai issued a description of the suspect who is in his mid to late 20s, of slight build, around 5'10' and was either wearing or carrying a balaclava.

They have appealed for anyone who may have seen anything unusual in the area to contact detectives in Clontarf.

A garda spokesman said: 'They are keen to talk to anyone who may have seen a male acting suspiciously in the Windgate Road/Carrickbrach Road or the summit area of Howth between 9am and 10.30am.'

Joan Maher, local councillor, said it was a disturbing murder in a normally quiet area.

'I'm absolutely shocked and stunned. It's horrendous coming up to Christmas,' she said.

'It's an area popular with walkers, around the hill but it's a seriously quiet area. On a Monday morning there would be nobody about.'

Meanwhile, the home and garden tonight remained sealed off as forensic teams examined the site with both the State Pathologist's office and the Garda Technical Bureau called in.

A post mortem is to be carried out tomorrow.

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