Pieters accused back in court

Chanting protesters lined the street outside a court in Cape Town yesterday in anticipation of the second appearance of a man accused of the rape and murder of toddler Courtney Pieters.

As with the accused’s first appearance last Wednesday, the court room was packed with Cape Flats residents – in addition to those in the street outside.

Because of the rape charge, the accused, who is from Elsies River, may not be identified until his trial commences in the Western Cape High Court on charges of rape and murder.

He made his second appearance in the Goodwood District Court, before magistrate Paul Visagie, who remanded him in custody to August 24 to allow for further investigation.

At the first court appearance, legal aid lawyer Colin Lekay told the court the man was employed at a call centre, and that his income exceeded the minimum allowed for free legal aid representation.

At yesterday’s proceedings, the lawyer told the court that legal aid had since allowed his application, but that the accused no longer wanted free legal aid representation and had appointed a privately-funded lawyer.

This development compelled legal aid to withdraw from the matter, Lekay told the court.

At this stage, the accused did not want to bring an application for his release on bail, the new lawyer told the court.

Prosecutor Adnaand Gelderbloem told the court that the investigation was far from completed, and requested that the man be remanded in custody to August 24. – ANA

The lawyer told the court the accused no longer wanted free legal aid representation and had appointed a privately-funded lawyer.