Mother fears her own 'killer' son

Update

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Plettenberg Bay residents as well as family and friends of murdered Hospice nurse Penny Cumming could barely contain their outrage when the man accused of raping and killing her last month told the court he wanted bail so that he could open a takeaway shop in Qolweni and help drug-addicted children clean up their act.

Those gathered in the packed gallery further murmured their horror when the suspect said he was willing to pay R1 000 for his freedom.

These plans will not materialise anytime soon, however, as he was denied bail in the Plettenberg Bay Magistrate’s Court on 21 February.

During his time in the witness stand, the 30-year-old suspect calmly and confidently told the court of his past run-ins with the law, including theft, domestic violence and drug abuse.

The suspect, who cannot be named before he has pleaded, was arrested on 30 January when he was allegedly hiding near a school in Kwanokuthula – following the grisly discovery of the 63-year-old Schoongezicht Country Estate resident on 29 January.

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.

Chequered past
The accused, who was dressed in a black-and-white leopard print T-shirt with silver chains around his neck, admitted that he had brushes with the law before, including a pending case of domestic violence which his mother opened against him.

He said, however, that this case was in a mediation process.

But investigating detective Warrant Officer Wynand Westraadt said he had spoken to the man’s mother and that she “feared for her life”.

The accused said that one of the reasons he wanted to be released on bail was so that he could open a takeaway shop in Qolweni on the outskirts of Plettenberg Bay.

He also mentioned that he has three children, but that he does not fully support them financially and that they all live with their respective mothers across South Africa.

He further said that he had issues with substance abuse and that he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident, but was receiving rehabilitation for it.

He stated that should he be released on bail as he would like to help children with drug problems.

When asked how much he was willing to pay to be released on bail, the accused said he could pay R1 000.

He further said that although he grew up in Plettenberg Bay, that he lives in Cape Town where he manages a nightclub in the city centre. He was visiting his mother at the time of the murder, he said.

The murder has sent shockwaves through the Plett community, leading to massive support by way of a petition demanding that the accused be denied bail.

CCTV footage, which is now being analysed by a forensic team, showing him leave the estate after the murder.

Petition handed in
When court proceedings started, a local resident who spearheaded the campaign, Joanne Barrett, handed in a petition signed by more than 5 000 locals.

When presented with this petition, the accused said he could understand the community’s outrage and added, “I don’t blame them. If I were in their shoes, I would have signed the petition too.”

He also “promised” to attend court when proceedings got under way and would give his full cooperation to police in their investigation.

Westraadt, however, said he believed the accused was a flight risk, stood a major chance of using drugs again if he was released and that his release would tarnish the community’s view of the justice system.

He added that the accused had shown a propensity for violence including the domestic violence case involving his mother.

Westraadt told the court that the police have a strong case against the accused and that he had been positively linked to the crime through fingerprints.

He added that there is also CCTV footage, which is now being analysed by a forensic team, showing him leave the estate after the murder.

He further said that the accused had also already shown that he had no problem defeating the ends of justice, including allegedly attempting to destroy Cumming’s vehicle.

As he is accused of Schedule 6 crimes, the onus was on the accused to prove exceptional circumstances for his release on bail.

The court ruled that there were no exceptional circumstances and therefore bail was denied.

The matter was postponed to 28 March for further investigation.

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ARTICLE: YOLANDÉ STANDER, KNYSNSA-PLETT HERALD CORRESPONDENT

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