Man accused of murder and attempted murder of two children appeared in court on Monday
Farm worker allegedly strangled three-year-old stepson to death after assaulting the boy's mother and nine-year-old brother during a domestic dispute.
A man accused of the murder and attempted murder of two children in Upper Tongaat on Boxing Day made his first court appearance on Monday.
The 39-year-old was arrested in Istopa on Friday after information led police to his whereabouts.
He appeared at the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on December 30 on charges of murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, malicious damage to property, and intimidation.
The farm worker allegedly strangled his partner’s three-year-old son to death after assaulting the boy’s mother and nine-year-old brother in the early morning of December 26, during a domestic dispute.
He reportedly attacked the older sibling with a panga, leaving the child with serious injuries to his face and head. He was later found lying injured on the side of the road near his home. The younger child, however, went missing.
The nine-year-old was taken to Stanger Hospital for treatment, while the search for his brother continued.
Saps, various law enforcement agencies and private security companies searched the area for the missing child after the incident but called off the search at 8.30pm owing to poor visibility.
The next morning, information was received suggesting the suspect was hiding in the Umhlali area, where Tongaat and Umhlali Saps found and arrested him.
The search resumed the following morning until the remains of the toddler were found in a sugar cane field.
The suspect is currently held at the Westville Correctional Centre awaiting his next court appearance on January 10.
- This article was amended after it was published. The headline that originally read, ‘Man accused of murder and attempted murder of stepchildren due in court on Monday’, was changed to ‘Man accused of murder and attempted murder of two children appeared in court on Monday‘.
- Following further investigation, Saps informed the North Coast Courier that the couple were not married. The suspect, therefore, is not the children’s stepfather. Similarly, the article was corrected on January 8, to reflect this change. The North Coast Courier apologises for any confusion caused.
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