Grieving mom’s emotional appeal

THE mother of slain Gabriela Kabrins Alban this week asked the Western Cape High Court to impose the maximum prison sentence on convicted murderer Diego Novella.

In a highly emotional appeal, Doris Weitz did not mince her words or hide her contempt for the Guatemalan national who was last month found guilty of murdering Kabrins Alban at the Camps Bay Retreat Hotel on July 29, 2015.

“This murder not only deprived me of my daughter, but also the possibility of grandchildren,” said Weitz.

The court heard how Weitz had received a call from the US embassy on the day of the murder which she said changed the lives of her family forever.

“The man asked me if I was Gaby’s mother. He then told me that this was going to be the worst day of my life. I do not remember much of that telephone call. My husband told me that I was hysterical,” said Weitz, as she stared down Novella who was listening to her intently and making occasional sounds of exasperation.

The grieving mother told the court that she was not only troubled by the murder itself but also the manner in which her daughter was killed. Kabrins Alban was strangled to death and Novella later defecated on her body.

In passing his guilty verdict, Judge Vincent Saldanha said the crime had been “fuelled by drugs and rage”.

Novella claimed he and Kabrins Alban had been possessed by a demonic entity when they consumed a cocktail of drugs on the night before the murder took place.

His defence was that in his mind he had been wrestling a demonic entity when he killed Kabrins Alban.

Weitz said the family at no stage believed Novella’s version of events.

“I could not hold her as she suffered and died. My heart is broken. I felt like I too wanted to die,” said Weitz.

The court also heard that the family had not been able to give Kabrins Alban a Jewish funeral according to custom as she had undergone an autopsy. According to Weitz, Jewish customs do not allow for autopsies to be performed on the dead.

She also reminded the court that she and her husband had spent half a million dollars so far to attend trial proceedings in Cape Town.

Kabrins Albans’s father, Howdy Kabrins, said that he and his new wife had spent more or less the same on flights and accommodation.

“This is our 11th flight to Cape Town since July 31, 2015. This man has given our family a life sentence without the chance of parole,” said Weitz.

She said she had found Novella’s attitude and arro- gance during the trial “hurtful” and “offensive”.

“He is trying to defend the indefensible,” she said.

Defence witness and clinical psychologist Dr Giada del Fabbro asked the court to take into account Novella’s clean record and that he had not displayed any violent behaviour in the past.

She said Novella’s long-term substance abuse may have impaired his decision-making abilities and his understanding of the consequences of his actions.

“Mr Novella expressed regret to me about his actions. He said he would make different choices if he had to do it again,” said Del Fabbro.

She said it was her opinion that the murder had been “impulsive” and not “wellthought-through”.

“We are not dealing with a cold-blooded killer here. I agree with the judge that this was a murder fuelled by rage,” said Del Fabbro.

Procedures will resume on Monday when Del Fabbro is expected to continue her testimony in mitigation of sentencing.

PICTURE: DAVID RITCHIE/AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY (ANA) Stop Rape, Educate is a campaign to end sexual violence against women, men and children by educating the public on rape culture, consent and healthy boundaries. They used chalk to write positive messages on the pavement at UCT”s Upper Campus.

PICTURE: CINDY WAXA /AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY(ANA) Murderer Diego Novella appears in the Western Cape High Court. Gabriela Kabrins Alban was found dead at a Camps Bay hotel.