THE DAUGHTER of murdered Irishman Kevin McGuirk broke down in court yesterday as she came face to face with her father’s alleged killer.
Siobhan McGuirk (21), wept as Erwin Poppinger (75) was led into the dock to face a magistrate in South Africa.
The accused – who was the father of Mr McGuirk’s wife Kim (34) – has been charged with the double murder of Mr McGuirk and his wife at their home near Johannesburg on August 15th last.
The McGuirks were found dead the following morning at the home they shared with Mr Poppinger. Police visited the bungalow after Mr Poppinger called a friend to allegedly confess to the shooting.
Forensic tests revealed Mr McGuirk, a diving school boss, had been shot in the back as he slept. Detectives believe his wife was then shot in the head.
Mr Poppinger appeared in court yesterday as his lawyer made an application for bail.
However, he was remanded in custody again after the matter was postponed until a further hearing on September 13th.
Later, Siobhán McGuirk, who had travelled to South Africa from her home in Dublin, told how the tragedy had affected her family. She said: “I wanted to come and see him for myself.
“We are all still grieving but we want answers about why this happened.
“Most of all, we want to see justice done,” she added.