Africa-Press – South-Africa. A Gqeberha man arrested 10 days after his ex-wife went missing will now face a murder charge, despite the woman still being missing.
Johnny Baartman was initially charged with attempted murder after his arrest on Monday following the disappearance of his ex-wife Desiree Baartman on Friday, 9 June.
He was arrested on Monday and appeared in the Gqeberha Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
Baartman could be seen with what looked like self-inflicted wounds as he stood in the dock.
The 59-year-old former high school teacher dropped his bid for bail.
He is not the first person to be charged with murder in the absence of a body. In 2005, William Nkuna was found guilty of killing his partner Frances Rasuge even though her body was only recovered around eight years after her disappearance in 2004.
Nkuna was sentenced to life in prison.
Evidence against Baartman
Baartman was taken in for questioning on Saturday after a thorough forensic investigation of the home he shared with Desiree.
Detectives also found his firearm in the house.
He was arrested on Monday.
The detainment became an official arrest on a charge of attempted murder on Monday. This charge has since been amended and Baartman is now accused of premeditated murder and defeating the ends of justice.
According to the charge sheet, Baartman allegedly murdered his ex-wife using violence.
The charge sheet reads:
According to an official with knowledge of the case, blood spatter was found inside the house and on Baartman, which led to his arrest.
The prosecutor, advocate Melani Hammett, told the court Baartman had to see a doctor before being brought to court because he “had self-inflicted wounds on his wrists”.
She asked that he be detained at Bethelsdorp police station for easier consultation purposes with his legal representative.
As the court ruled that he should be detained in a single cell to ensure that he does not harm himself, Baartman sobbed in the dock.
Dressed in a blue jacket, Baartman started crying the moment he stepped into the courtroom and did not once look at the people seated in the gallery behind him.
Instead, he sat with his head down, wiping his eyes and nose with a tissue for the duration of his appearance.
The case was postponed to Wednesday. Desiree is still missing.
It has since come to light that this is not Baartman’s first run-in with the law.
In 2013, he was accused of raping a 14-year-old pupil from Sanctor High School in Gqeberha, where he used to teach. He was subsequently fired.
However, he was acquitted of this charge when a doctor testified during the trial that the pupil showed no physical signs of rape during a medical examination.
Meanwhile, family members have organised a candle ceremony for 57-year-old Desiree in Nagel Street, Bethelsdorp, on Tuesday at 18:00 to pray for her safe return.
For More News And Analysis About South-Africa Follow Africa-Press
