Salvation Army Preacher dies after being assaulted in Malawi

Perth Salvation Army Major Geoff Freind has died after being attacked during a preaching tour in Malawi.

Mr Freind, 60, was a long-serving Salvation Army Major based in the Perth suburb of Morley.

He was on leave and taking a five-week solo-preaching tour in Malawi in eastern Africa when he was attacked while walking from his hotel to nearby shops.

Mr Freind was put in an induced coma at a Johannesburg hospital, but died on Wednesday.

His wife and four sons had travelled to be by his side.

Mr Freind’s brother-in-law Peter Walker said his family was devastated.

“Geoff was a great family man, he loved his family,” he said.

“The family was the centre of his life.

“He was a great dad and he’s going to be terribly missed.

“None of us can believe what’s happened and we’re each coming to terms with that.

“It’s going to be a massive hole.”

Mr Walker said little was known about the circumstances of Mr Freind’s death but it was believed he was attacked by a group of people and sustained serious head injuries.

“We don’t have a lot of information and that’s not been our focus,” he said.

“We’ve been praying for a miracle but that’s not the news we’ve been able to announce today, we’re sorry.”