Murder case delay

Three men arrested in connection with the kidnapping and murder of Cape Town’s Meghan Cremer, an avid horse rider, will spend Christmas and New Year behind bars.

They appeared in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court yesterday, where prosecutor Emily van Wyk informed them that forensic evidence, reports and statements were still outstanding and asked that the matter be postponed until January 27.

Magistrate Keith le Keur told Shiraaz Jaftha, 34, Jeremy Sias, 27, and Charles Daniels, 39, to be patient.

Daniels blew a kiss to his elderly mother in the public gallery as he was led back to the holding cells. “Lief vir jou [Love you],” he said, before blowing another kiss.

None of the men are expected to apply for bail.

Jaftha, who has a pending murder case and a prior drug conviction, is the only one who made a bail application, but he abandoned it at his last appearance.

The three were initially charged with possession of Cremer’s stolen vehicle.

Sias has since been charged with murder and armed robbery after Cremer’s remains were found on a Philippi farm on the morning of August 8.

His two co-accused are charged with car theft and defeating the ends of justice.

One of the suspects is understood to have pointed out where Cremer’s body could be found.

Her hands had been bound and she had a restraint around her neck.

Her body was thought to have been there for some days as it did not appear to have been freshly dumped, police sources said at the time.

She was last seen on Saturday, August 3, when she left her home on a Philippi farm at about 6.20pm.

She never returned to Vaderlandsche Rietvlei Stables, or to her place of work.

Sias has a pending car theft case and a prior assault conviction. – News24 Wire