THE Tivoli Court apartment of Gervan Rattray – the ex-policeman who was shot dead Saturday at the Portmore Mall in St Catherine – was yesterday destroyed by fire.

No one was injured in the blaze.

Foul play was not suspected up to last night in the fire that destroyed the home of the ex-cop, who was known in Tivoli Gardens as “Squaddie”.

“Nobody not going come here and burn down Squaddie’s house. Everyone and him live good and we want to know why someone would kill him,” one woman said.

A firefighter from the Trench Town fire station told the Observer that from his observation, the fire was the result of an electrical fault.

“It doesn’t look like anybody set this fire. To me it looks like an electrical problem but it might be too early to call,” the fireman said.

Rattray’s son, Roderick, was at the apartment at the time the fire started but could not say what caused the blaze.

“I just walk outside and smell something a burn and somebody a bawl out fire,” he said.

Two children who were in the building at the time of the fire were rescued by neighbours. However, all the contents of the apartment, except an Oriental rug, were destroyed.

In the meantime, although the South St Catherine police say they have not established a motive for Squaddie’s murder, a resident of Tivoli Court theorised yesterday that he was murdered by persons who were known him.

“We hear say a man lick him car a few weeks ago and we don’t know if them kill him because them don’t want to pay the money to fix it, but everything soon reveal,” one man said.

Rattray was killed when he went to the shopping centre. The police reported that he was getting a haircut in a barber saloon when he was called outside the establishment by three men. One of the men, the police said, handed him a package with money and within minutes one of the men pulled a handgun and shot him several times, killing him on the spot.

The gunmen were challenged by a police officer on the scene but managed to escape.

Rattray is survived by five children – three girls and two boys.