GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING a complaint against Cork broadcaster Neil Prendeville are to apply to police in London to obtain CCTV footage of Mr Prendeville boarding an Aer Lingus flight to Cork more than two weeks ago, The Irish Timeshas learned.
Officers have already secured CCTV footage from Cork airport and have begun examining it to see what condition Mr Prendeville was in when he left the airport, having exposed himself on the flight from Heathrow to Cork on the night of October 19th.
Mr Prendeville, who presents a Cork’s 96FM’s flagship show, which has more than 100,000 listeners, has already given an interview in which he said he mixed painkillers and large quantities of alcohol and had no recollection of exposing himself to crew and fellow passengers on the flight.
Gardaí in Togher, who are investigating a complaint about the incident, which was made by Aer Lingus staff, have interviewed and taken witness statements from four members of the cabin crew and are due to take statements from a number of passengers in the coming days.
Mr Prendeville was seated at the front of the plane between a woman reporter from the Irish Examiner and a male hotelier from Cork when he exposed himself.
According to a Garda source, the investigation into the incident is taking place under the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1998, which includes a provision relating to behaviour that can lead to a breach of the peace. This carries a financial penalty and/or a jail term of four months.
It is understood that because the incident happened after the flight doors were closed, it became a matter for the police authority of the country in which the plane was registered, namely An Garda.
If the doors had been open at the time, it would have been a matter for the British police.
Mr Prendeville had travelled to London as one of a number of guests of the Cork Convention Bureau which was hosting a dinner at celebrity chef Richard Corrigan’s restaurant, Bentley’s on Swallow Street, near Piccadilly Circus in the heart of London.
The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Michael O’Connell and the Mayor of Cork County, Cllr Jim Daly, also attended the event but they travelled back the following day, October 20th, on a different flight from that taken by Mr Prendeville and other members of the Cork Convention Bureau.
Mr Prendeville was again off air yesterday and has indicated that he has been given “some space” by his employers after reports of the incident appeared in various media.
