Hospice nurse murder case to be heard in high court
Plettenberg Bay residents breathed a collective sigh of relief after a decision was taken to transfer the rape and murder case of a local hospice nurse to the high court.
The 30-year-old suspect, who cannot be named before he has pleaded due to the sexual nature of the crime, briefly appeared in the Plettenberg Bay Magistrate’s Court on Monday 9 July. He is accused of raping and killing the 63-yearold Schoongezicht Country Estate resident Penny Cumming in January this year.
The suspect was arrested on 30 January following the grisly discovery a day earlier.
Cumming’s naked and bruised body was found on the floor of her home by a friend. Her home was ransacked and her Volvo SUV missing. The partially destroyed vehicle was found near Nekkies in Knysna later that day.
It was later established that Cumming had also been raped and that the cause of death was strangulation.
After a brief appearance, the suspect was informed that the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had decided to transfer the matter to the high court. The pretrial is expected to start on 13 August.
Resident Joanne Barrett, who spearheaded a petition of more than 5 000 signatures against his release on bail, said she and other residents were relieved that the matter would be heard in the high court. “This is a horrific crime and should be looked at in a serious light. We are happy that the matter will be heard in the high court as the court can impose maximum sentences,” Barrett said.
The suspect was denied bail on 21 February. At the time, detective warrant officer Wynand Westraadt told the court that the police has a strong case against the accused and that he has been positively linked to the crime through fingerprints, and that there is also CCTV footage showing him leave the estate after the murder.