‘Rapist’ pastor sports T-shirt

WESTERN Cape High Court Judge President John Hlophe admonished alleged serial rapist and murderer, former Cape Flats pastor Keith Bird, for wearing a casual T-shirt yesterday.

“I don’t want to see your arms. Show decorum. Show respect for the court,” the judge told Bird.

Bird made a brief appearance in the Western Cape High Court, where he faces two counts of murder, four of rape, as well as theft and crimen injuria charges.

The former pastor, 52, was arrested in 2017 for the murder of Aniesa Bardien, 36, after she broke off their engagement. Her decomposed body was found several days after her disappearance.

In the summary of substantial facts, the State alleges that: “On January 8, 2013 the accused lured the deceased into bushes… The accused strangled the deceased until she was unconscious. He then crushed her head by hitting her several times with a rock.”

The second murder count relates to Sharvonne Sharnice Koense, 20, raped and strangled on May 18, 2013. Her partially clothed body was dumped in bushes in Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain, and discovered by a passer-by later that day.

Bird also allegedly used social media to lure women. In May 2014 he arranged to meet one of his alleged victims through Facebook, on the pretext of offering her a modelling job. He then allegedly took out a knife and a taser and forced her to perform oral sex on him.

In January 2014 he allegedly used social network app Mxit to meet one of the complainants.

State prosecutor Maresa Engelbrecht has drafted a plea and sentence agreement which is expected to be finalised by Bird’s next court appearance on March 11.