Baby murder accused is ill
THE BARKLY West man accused of killing a sixmonth-old baby girl, who he believed was “possessed by demons”, appeared in the Northern
Cape High Court yesterday.
Emmanuel Welcome, 37, stands accused of murdering the baby, Nozipho Caroline Jacobs, on the night of October 11, 2016 by allegedly repeatedly hitting her with, among other items, an electrical wire, stabbing her with porcupine quills and forcing her to drink salt water.
Welcome apparently told the mother of the child, Evelyn Jacobs, that the baby was “possessed” and the two then attempted to perform an “exorcism” on the child on the night she died.
The baby was declared dead on October 12 and a post-mortem revealed that the cause of her death was blunt force trauma to the head.
Earlier evidence produced by an eyewitness during a bail application revealed that Jacobs was initially also charged with the murder of the baby, but has since been referred for observation and an observation report found that she could not be held criminally liable for her alleged actions.
Her trial was separated from that of Welcome and she will be dealt with in accordance with the clauses of Article 77(6) of the Criminal Procedure Act.
The State alleges that Welcome intended to kill the child.
Wrapped in a blanket, Welcome, who is on bail, made a brief appearance in the Northern Cape High Court yesterday, where it was heard that he was “too ill” to continue with the trial and the matter was postponed until September after his legal representative handed in a sick note.
Jacobs is expected to make her next appearance in the Barkly West Magistrate’s Court.