IRISH AID CHIEF HACKED TO DEATH ‘FOR HIS PHONE’
Girlfriend’s horror as she finds 60-year-old John’s body in Cape Town flat
HEROIC charity worker John Curran may have been brutally knifed to death for his phone, it emerged last night.
The Dubliner’s body was found by his distraught girlfriend, who was heard screaming: “Oh my God, my boyfriend is dead.”
The dad of four was attacked and stabbed repeatedly at his apartment in Cape Town, South Africa.
The killing occurred just days before the 60-year-old was due to return home.
THE girlfriend of an Irish charity worker screamed in horror after discovering his dead body.
A neighbour of John Curran told of the harrowing moment the 60-year-old was found murdered in South Africa.
Dragan Kuruzovic tweeted: “I woke up this morning at 9am with a woman outside my room screaming, “Oh my God, my boyfriend is dead’, about 10 times.
“Then the screams went, ‘There’s blood all over the place’. I heard people running and freaking out, doors slamming.
“I called my neighbour who is always Mr Busybody. He went in the place the moment the girl screamed and saw the full on dead body and blood all over. Says it was definitely murder.”
Police sources said the dad of four had suffered multiple stab wounds several hours earlier.
South African Police Service spokesperson captain Ezra October confirmed Mr Curran had been stabbed to death and it seemed only his phone was stolen.
No arrests have been made.
It is believed CCTV footage captured the Dubliner’s killer fleeing the block of apartments where he had lived for several months in Cape Town at 4am.
Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: “A person had come to see John and I assume they had their own key.
“When they got into the flat there was blood everywhere and John was dead on the floor.
“It was clearly murder. Someone said it was his girlfriend who found him.”
SCARED
It has also emerged a friend posted on Facebook asking for another pal of Mr Curran to check up on him as he was concerned for his safety.
He wrote: “I’m scared something bad might have happened to John, please try calling him.”
Mr Curran had spent two years after his retirement working for Dublin-based non-profit organisation Mellon Educate in Cape Town as their Director of Education, helping poor local children.
It is understood he was due to return home in the coming days until his horrific murder.
It was his role to work with the South African government to improve the quality of education at under-resourced schools and also build houses for homeless people.
Mr Curran had worked as a teacher since leaving Trinity College and served as principal at Good Shepherd National School in Dublin for 15 years.
He was employed by the Irish Primary Principals’ Network until he retired in 2005, continuing to work for the IPPN in
a consultancy capacity until 2016 when he took up his role with Mellon Educate.
One of his most notable achievements was working with 270 volunteers to rebuild and renovate schools in the 400,000-strong area of Khayelitsha, the largest township in Cape Town.
He retired from the charity in September and had moved into the flat where he was killed shortly afterwards.
Mellon Educate chief executive Niall Mellon said: “I know our many volunteers and supporters will be very sad to hear this tragic news.
“John was much loved by everyone who met him and especially by the thousands of children he helped during his time with Mellon Educate. We are assisting his family in every way we can and your warm wishes of empathy are sincerely appreciated.”
David Ruddy, of the Irish Primary Principals’ Network, told RTE Radio One: “He was very much loved but very dynamic and he always wanted to give back and in particular in relation to leadership. He was a really incredible guy.”
LEGACY
Mr Ruddy said Mr Curran loved his involvement with Mellon Educate.
He added: “He said he found it very rewarding and equally very challenging.
“It’s only when one goes into the townships to see what was there and he quoted Nelson Mandela when he said, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world’.
“John lived and embodied every piece of that statement.”
Culture Minister Josepha Madigan expressed sadness at the news of Mr Curran’s death.
She said: “John was well-known in education circles in Dublin Rathdown and served the children of Churchtown well during his many years teaching at Good Shepherd National School.
“At a national level he was involved in numerous projects with IPPN over the years. I know he was held in high esteem by his former colleagues.
“His enthusiasm and energy was obvious to all and his legacy in the area
of education is a significant one. He will be sadly missed. I am aware John’s untimely death has come as a great shock to everyone who knew him.”
Mr Curran’s killing is the second tragedy to hit the family after his son Eoin died in a sailing accident in New York in 2010.
It is understood Mr Curran had two sisters living in Dublin, Paula Curran and Dolores Rafferty.
He is also survived by his former partner Liz, their children Darragh, Triona and Donal, their partners Clodagh, Liam and Beck and his six grandchildren.