MORE THAN 100 friends and family members of the Irishman murdered last week with his wife in South Africa gathered to pay their last respects at an emotional funeral for the couple in Johannesburg yesterday.
The funeral of Dublin-born Kevin McGuirk (54) and his wife Kim (34) took place as the man accused of their murder was scheduled to appear in Alberton magistrates’ court, where he was expected to make a bail application.
Ms McGuirk’s father, Erwin Poppinger (75), has been charged with murdering the couple at the home the three shared in Alberton, a Johannesburg suburb, on the evening of August 15th last, following the escalation of an ongoing row over money, according to police.
Mr and Ms McGuirk died of gunshot wounds and were found in their bedroom the day after the murders occurred. A handgun belonging to Mr Poppinger was found at the crime scene by police, who arrested the elderly man when they arrived at the house on Albany Road.
A local news agency reported that friends of the McGuirks keen to attend Mr Poppinger’s court hearing had to leave before it began because it coincided with the cremation service for the couple, which began less than 20 miles away at 2pm.
Mr Poppinger’s bail hearing was postponed until today by magistrate Isaac Mathe, due to a legal argument over the type of offence with which the accused has been charged.
Mr Poppinger was remanded in custody at Boksburg prison.
Mr McGuirk’s brother and one of his five children, who travelled from Ireland, were said to be in the congregation at the couple’s funeral in Braamfontein.
“It was very emotional,” a friend of Mr McGuirk’s told a local reporter. “There were lots of tears. Kev’s family were all mixing with the many friends he made since coming to South Africa.”
Mr McGuirk and his wife had applied for a restraining order against Mr Poppinger five days before they were murdered, but court officials had yet to rule on the application. The couple, who married in Cape Town five years ago, ran a successful scuba-diving school from their home.