Murder accused and his wife were having marital issues
MURDERED Constantia wife Gill Packham, 57, and her accused husband, Robert Packham, had marital problems, the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court has heard.
Gill’s body was found in the boot of her burning BMW vehicle near the Diep River railway station, after she was reported missing. On February 22, she left home for work at Springfield Convent School in Wynberg at around 7am.
Yesterday, Robert who is the general manager at cooldrink company, Twizza, appeared in court after he was arrested on Friday. He faces charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice.
State Prosecutor Brynmor Benjamin told the court the couple had marital problems, adding that Robert had sent his wife a cellphone message saying “thinking of calling it a day”.
It is alleged Robert contacted a colleague for an alibi, asking him/her to lie about his whereabouts on that morning, while cellphone records show that he was in the Diep River area at the time of the murder.
Benjamin told the court traces of blood were found in the accused’s car, the garage and main bedroom’s en-suite bathroom of their home. The blood is presumed to be that of his wife. He said police were still in search of Gill’s cellphone.
According to reports, Robert wept when his lawyer, Ben Matthewson, asked that he be released on bail so that he could support his children at their mother’s funeral today.
The matter was postponed to March 9 for scheduling of the offence by the DPP.