Mother to plead guilty

THE Verulam mother accused of dumping her newborn baby in a black rubbish bag is expected to plead guilty to attempted murder at her next court appearance.

Magistrate Betty Rawheath asked the defence to finalise the guilty plea ahead of the next court date at the Verulam Magistrate’s Court.

Rawheath requested the woman’s attorney, Ricky Ramouthar, to ensure everything was in order so the matter could go ahead uninterrupted.

The plea was expected to have been handed into court on Monday, but prosecutor Musa Myeni, who was handling the case, was not present on the day.

Ramouthar requested the case be adjourned.

Rawheath granted the adjournment.

The woman, 31, of Everest Heights, who cannot be named to protect the identity of her children, admitted to court in a signed affidavit that she had dumped the baby believing it had died while still in her womb. She apologised in writing for her actions.

The unemployed woman, who has two other children, was arrested after the 2.3kg baby was found abandoned on Olivine Road, metres away from her home in January.

She is facing charges of attempted murder and child abandonment and will be prosecuted on the attempted murder charge.

The woman is out on R1 000 bail.

The abandoned baby is in the care of social services.