Slain GAA star a ‘warm and well-regarded’ garda

Garda colleagues of slain GAA star Ray Prendiville, who was shot dead in Namibia last week, praised him yesterday as a “warm and well-regarded” man.

Mr Prendiville, aged 62 and originally from Scartaglen, Co Kerry, was gunned down in the tourist resort town of Walvis Bay last Friday.

It is thought the former Kerry footballer and security consultant was having a meeting with a business partner in logistics company SMF Investment when he was murdered.

Local police said that Mr Prendiville arrived in the southern African country on Aug 26 at the invitation of the business partner.

It is not yet clear what exactly happened, but Mr Prendiville was found dead at his business partner’s flat on Hage Geingob St.

It is thought Mr Prendiville was sitting in the company of the partner when five men wearing camouflage uniforms stormed into the house and allegedly started harassing them.

The Khomas Region police spokesperson, inspector Kauna Shikwambi, could not confirm the details of the crime during a police press conference in Windhoek.

However, deputy commissioner Ottilie Kashuupulwa of the Erongo police was quoted on Namibian television as saying the suspects shot Mr Prendiville but did not steal anything before fleeing the crime scene.

Ms Kashuupulwa said five men who claimed to work for SMF Investments were arrested.

Gardaí who knew Mr Prendiville said he worked in both uniform and plain clothes in Waterford before moving to Dublin where he worked in the Special Detective Unit.

“He was a very decent fella, a very warm, big-barreled Kerry man,” said one ex-colleague. “He was also very solid, sensible, dependable, and well-regarded.”