There was drama at the Palm Ridge Magistrates Court on June 19 when Frederick ‘Freddie’ Vermeulen appeared for his bail application.

Freddie is accused of killing his then-wife, Juanita, who was found dead on January 9.

Juanita was discovered in the boot of her vehicle at a shopping centre in Brackenhurst, Alberton. She had sustained multiple stab wounds.

ALSO READ: Blood stains found at home after woman discovered stabbed in Brackenhurst

Freddie is fighting to be released on bail; however, his previous bail attempts have not been successful.

His latest bail application included testimony from a nurse who works at the hospital section of Boksburg prison, where he is currently being held.

“Your worship, I want the court to be aware of instances of Freddie’s misbehaviour towards medical staff at Boksburg prison. He is rude, disrespectful and arrogant when talking to the medical staff. He says we are useless,” said the nurse of 23 years’ experience in the profession.

Asked about the accused’s health and well-being, the nurse said: “Our assessments show that he is fine. Freddie wants to be released on bail on medical grounds. He claims he is on chronic medication and that prison medical staff refuse to give him medication.”

The prison nurse refuted these claims, telling the court that they ran blood tests on the accused, which revealed that he had no chronic medical condition.

The nurse said they had received testosterone medicine from outside prison sent for Freddie.

“Your worship, we do not give inmates medication from outside the prison’s hospital because we would get into trouble if an inmate gets sick or dies from that medication.

“Freddie was sent testosterone medication from outside. We asked the medical practitioner to give us a signed medical report outlining why Freddie should be given the medication. Up to now, no report has been given to us,” said the prison nurse.

The nurse also accused Freddie of pretending to be severely sick when he gets prison visits, but walks around as a normal inmate when he is inside prison.

“I do not believe he is sick; he is just pretending. When a visitor comes to see him, he sees the visitor while sitting in a wheelchair. But in prison, he walks around with no wheelchair or assistance,” added the nurse.

The court was told that prison medical staff referred Freddie to a psychiatric evaluation after he told one of them that he “just wants to die.” While the nurse was testifying, Freddie interrupted the nurse, telling the magistrate that prison health officials refused to see him for four months.

The magistrate warned Freddie, telling him that he could only address the court through his lawyer.
As the prison nurse continued testifying, Freddie collapsed, to which the nurse said: “You see, your worship, this is the type of behaviour we deal with.”

The magistrate took the decision to do a short court adjournment to allow for Freddie to consult with his lawyer.

After consultation, the magistrate advised Freddie to take the court process seriously and that he should allow his legal team to argue the case on his behalf without interruption.

The presiding magistrate postponed the case to July 9, where arguments for bail are expected to continue. ‘Freddie’ remains in custody.

ALSO READ: Freddie Vermeulen’s murder case delayed again as new bail bid heads to court

Stay informed and never miss a story. Join our Joburg South WhatsApp channel for breaking news, community updates, and more: Join here.