Dirty looks in court as ex-partners fight over child

THE parents of a two-year-old who was found after a nationwide search, yesterday stared at each other with contempt in the Durban magistrate's court.

The little girl's 48-year-old father is standing trial for failing to comply with a custody order in February when he "kidnapped" her. He also faces a charge of possession of an unlicensed firearm.

According to the custody order granted by the Durban high court, the father was allowed to keep the girl for an overnight stay once a week.

He was arrested in Kimberley 10 days after he had taken her from her Durban crèche.

The toddler's mother raised the alarm when her former boyfriend did not return the child a day after taking her from the crèche.

Yesterday the pair appeared hostile towards each other and at one stage the mother remarked that the father "obviously did not speak English anymore" when he ignored her.

The man's defence for taking the girl is that he did not think her mother could take proper care of the toddler.

His view is backed by the woman's mother, who wants custody of her granddaughter because she feels the parents are not trustworthy.

In her affidavit during the father's bail application in February, the grandma said while her daughter was a good mother, the constant conflict between her and her former boyfriend threatened the child's welfare.

The pair walked out of court yesterday unhappy that the trial was delayed.

The matter was adjourned to September 9 after a senior Legal Aid attorney joined the defence team.