A prison warder’s son who is implicated in the brutal rape and murder of teenager Franziska Blöchliger in Cape Town claims he sold her stolen cell phone to buy drugs.
Two of the four men arrested for the attack in Tokai Forest on March 7 have applied for bail in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court. The court will decide whether or not to grant them bail next Friday‚ May 6.
The 16-year-old was attacked on while jogging.
News of her death was greeted with an outpouring of grief and rage across the city.
Police traced her stolen iPhone and tracked down the suspects within 36 hours of the crime. All four men face charges of rape‚ murder and robbery.
One of the men‚ the son of a senior prison warder at Pollsmoor Prison‚ and a second have lodged formal bail applications.
The warder’s son‚ who intends pleading not guilty‚ said on Thursday a co-accused had approached him at a local shop in Steenberg and asked him to help sell a cell phone.
The accused cannot be named until they have formally made a plea.
He said he was high on drugs at the time and was not bothered whether the cell phone was stolen or not.
“All I was interested in was money for drugs‚” he said in an affidavit presented to court.
“I am aware of the seriousness of the offence. I will plead guilty on all counts.”
He admitted that he had a long list of previous convictions‚ which included housebreaking and theft. He also admitted to using drugs.
“I am not aware of any other convictions‚ if the state proves so I will not dispute them. I don’t want the court to believe that I am hiding anything. This is as a result of my use of drugs throughout my life.
“I would not have agreed to sell the phone had I known (what happened). I have realised that my past experiences have hurt my family and I want to prove to them that I can change.”
The second accused‚ a cell phone dealer who eventually bought the phone‚ presented his version of events‚ saying that he was not involved in the robbery.
“I bought the phone from accused number one and two‚” he said in his affidavit.
“I have two previous convictions‚ theft in 2015 and possession of drugs in 2010.”
The state is opposing bail. The prosecution said a post-mortem report showed that Blöchliger had died of suffocation and strangulation.
She had sand in her mouth and throat. She had been raped and sodomised.
Her father‚ Florian‚ sat motionless in the court room.
The hearing continues.
Murdered Cape teen's phone allegedly sold for drugs
A prison warder’s son who is implicated in the brutal rape and murder of teenager Franziska Blöchliger in Cape Town claims he sold her stolen cell phone to buy drugs.
Two of the four men arrested for the attack in Tokai Forest on March 7 have applied for bail in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court. The court will decide whether or not to grant them bail next Friday‚ May 6.
The 16-year-old was attacked on while jogging.
News of her death was greeted with an outpouring of grief and rage across the city.
Police traced her stolen iPhone and tracked down the suspects within 36 hours of the crime. All four men face charges of rape‚ murder and robbery.
One of the men‚ the son of a senior prison warder at Pollsmoor Prison‚ and a second have lodged formal bail applications.
The warder’s son‚ who intends pleading not guilty‚ said on Thursday a co-accused had approached him at a local shop in Steenberg and asked him to help sell a cell phone.
The accused cannot be named until they have formally made a plea.
He said he was high on drugs at the time and was not bothered whether the cell phone was stolen or not.
“All I was interested in was money for drugs‚” he said in an affidavit presented to court.
“I am aware of the seriousness of the offence. I will plead guilty on all counts.”
He admitted that he had a long list of previous convictions‚ which included housebreaking and theft. He also admitted to using drugs.
“I am not aware of any other convictions‚ if the state proves so I will not dispute them. I don’t want the court to believe that I am hiding anything. This is as a result of my use of drugs throughout my life.
“I would not have agreed to sell the phone had I known (what happened). I have realised that my past experiences have hurt my family and I want to prove to them that I can change.”
The second accused‚ a cell phone dealer who eventually bought the phone‚ presented his version of events‚ saying that he was not involved in the robbery.
“I bought the phone from accused number one and two‚” he said in his affidavit.
“I have two previous convictions‚ theft in 2015 and possession of drugs in 2010.”
The state is opposing bail. The prosecution said a post-mortem report showed that Blöchliger had died of suffocation and strangulation.
She had sand in her mouth and throat. She had been raped and sodomised.
Her father‚ Florian‚ sat motionless in the court room.
The hearing continues.
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