AN IRISHMAN shot dead with his wife in a suburban home in South Africa on Monday evening, following an alleged domestic row with her father, has been named as Kevin McGuirk.
The bodies of Mr McGuirk (54), originally from Balgriffin, Co Dublin, and his South African wife Kim (34) were found on Tuesday morning in the bedroom of their home on Albany Road in Alberton, near Johannesburg.
The discovery was made by the authorities after Ms McGuirk’s father, who has been arrested and charged in connection with the crime, contacted the police the morning after the incident.
Police have confirmed a 75-year-old man related to the Ms McGuirk had been arrested and will appear in Alberton magistrate’s court tomorrow.
Newspaper reports have claimed the arrested man, named locally as Erwin Franz Poppinger, has admitted to carrying out the double murder.
However, police Lieut Col Tshisikhawe Ndou said he had not so confessed.
“The man did not confess because that would automatically make him guilty,” Lieut Col Ndou added.
“He said he would explain the whole situation and his motives when he is in court.”
Mr Poppinger has been charged with two counts of murder.
It is understood his 9mm handgun was found at the scene of the crime.
Mr McGuirk was managing director of Africa Diving, a scuba diving company based in Alberton which he established in 2005. It operated tours for beginners and experienced divers to well-known diving spots found off Africa’s southern and eastern coasts, as well as to inland lakes.
Mr McGuirk had been living in South Africa for more than 10 years.
He is said to have at least two children from a previous relationship, one of whom currently lives in South Africa.
The Irish embassy in Pretoria is providing assistance to Mr McGuirk’s family.