THE DUBLIN man and his South African wife shot dead near Johannesburg last week had sought a restraining order against the man accused of their double murder only days before it occurred, court papers revealed yesterday.
Kevin McGuirk (54) and his wife Kim applied at Alberton magistrates court for a protection order against her father Erwin Poppinger (75) on August 11th last, but officials had not ruled on the application by the time he allegedly shot them in their bedroom on August 15th.
According to a local news agency report, Kim McGuirk made a statement to the court on August 11th that her elderly father had previously threatened to kill them both last June because of an ongoing row over money.
Court papers revealed the Irishman and his wife, who lived in Alberton, a Johannesburg suburb, had taken to locking their bedroom at night, so concerned were they about their safety at the home they shared with Mr Poppinger.
“Poppinger will scream and shout indiscriminately at us and he intimidates us. We are frightened of what he might do and now sleep with our bedroom door locked,” her signed statement reportedly says.
Mr Poppinger made his second court appearance yesterday at a court in Alberton since his arrest on Tuesday of last week, the day after the murders were committed.
However, the hearing at which he was expected to make a bail application was postponed until tomorrow because the senior magistrate involved was on leave. The accused was remanded back in custody to Boksburg prison until then.
Speaking afterwards Mr Poppinger’s legal representative said he believed an argument over the household electricity bill had pushed the man over the edge.
“It is clear that there was a long-running disagreement between my client, his daughter and her husband. There had been an application for a protection order, and relations were bad.
“In recent weeks I believe Mrs McGuirk and her husband had viewed other properties, and were hoping to move out. Last week there was a big row about an electricity bill and then the shooting occurred,” he said.
Mr Kotze went on to say his client had given his version of events to police, but had not made any formal written confession.
“He intends to tell the court at a later date what happened, and says that the couple had actually moved to attack him on the night. From what he has told me, it seems he was sick of his daughter and her husband staying at his house,” he explained.
Mr McGuirk was managing director of Africa Diving Tours, a scuba dive company. The father of five is said to have been living in South Africa for more than 10 years prior to his death. He married his wife four years ago.