Africa-Press – South-Africa. A man accused of raping and murdering a 93-year-old Cape Town grandmother, Cynthia Doubell, appeared in the Western Cape High Court on Friday as his trial approaches.
Looking thin and mumbling, on prompting from Judge Nathan Erasmus, he said he had not organised a lawyer for himself yet, but expected his family to arrange one for him.
Erasmus became slightly annoyed that the case was not trial-ready, but the accused still did not have a lawyer, let alone a Legal Aid lawyer.
The accused expected his family to arrange a lawyer on his behalf, but the neither the lawyer, nor his family members, were in court.
“Is your father here?” the judge asked.
The accused turned around slowly and scanned the rows in the public gallery.
“Issie hie nie,” (not here) he mumbled .
Erasmus ordered the accused to apply for Legal Aid.
The State says all that is outstanding for the trial to proceed is a defence lawyer.
Doubell was found raped and murdered on her bed in Bellville South on the first day of Women’s Month in 2019. News24 reported that she had been found by a neighbour who brought her a cup of coffee every day.
The accused said he had filled in a form for Legal Aid at one point when his case was still moving through the court in Bellville, but that he had not followed through.
Erasmus reminded him that he was facing serious charges relating to the attack on the 93-year-old woman.
“What makes you think that your parents will arrange a lawyer for you?” he asked.
“You will get a lawyer today before you go back to Pollsmoor. If you fail to, you run the risk of defending yourself,” warned Erasmus, before sending the accused back into custody.
“So don’t come here and tell the court that further particulars still need to be exchanged.”
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