Still unclear if Prendeville will return to airwaves

Radio presenter Neil Prendeville will not be prosecuted for exposing himself on an airplane — but it’s unclear if he will return to the airwaves.

Mr Prendeville has escaped prosecution after the Director of Public Prosecution ruled that charges would not be brought against him.

A female passenger, journalist Niamh Hennessy, was sitting beside the 96FM presenter when he allegedly exposed himself and masturbated in his seat on the Aer Lingus flight from London to Cork last October.

Ms Hennessy has said she is “horrified and dismayed” by the DPP’s decision.

Mr Prendeville has remained off air since the incident came to light around four months ago. Cork’s 96FM chief executive Kieran McGeary would not comment today on the DPP’s decision or say if Mr Prendeville would return to work.

Mr Prendeville’s name has been removed from the 96FM website in recent weeks and he is no longer named on the station’s list of presenters.

His show has been replaced by the Opinion Line with PJ Coogan, but the station has not confirmed if this is a permanent move.

Mr Prendeville and his solicitor Gerald Kean were not available for comment today either. Neither was Aer Lingus.

While the DPP declined to give a reason for not prosecuting, Ms Hennessy, who made the complaint to gardaí along with crew members, was told it was because of a jurisdictional technicality.

The incident occurred as the plane was taxiing to the runway at Heathrow.

Aviation law expert Richard Martin has said Mr Prendeville would have been subject to British rather than Irish law.

The radio presenter accepted the incident happened, but said he had no recollection of it after mixing alcohol and painkillers.

Article courtesy of the Evening Echo newspaper.