'I'm glad he's staying in jail'
|Published
Mom Marlaine Pienaar-Vice outside the Paarl Magistrates’ Court. CREDIT: Ayanda Ndamane Mom Marlaine Pienaar-Vice outside the Paarl Magistrates’ Court. CREDIT: Ayanda Ndamane
The man accused of slashing his pregnant girlfriend’s stomach, strangling her to death and burying her in his backyard, has declined to apply for bail.
Yesterday, the Paarl Magistrates’ Court was packed with people, nearly half of them police officers, as suspect Jacobus Oosthuizen, 32, made his first appearance on charges of the murder of Nicola Pienaar, 28, his girlfriend who went missing on January 5.
He is also accused of stealing the car of Nicola’s mother, Marlaine Pienaar-Vice, and fraudulently using her four credit cards, as well as Nicola’s petrol card.
On Sunday, Oosthuizen allegedly confessed his crimes and showed police where he had buried Nicola in a shallow grave in his parents’ backyard in Paarl.
Prosecutors confirmed the young woman had been six months pregnant.
After Marlaine reported her daughter missing and her car stolen, private investigator Paul Scheepers traced Oosthuizen to Port Elizabeth.
It’s believed he was on his way to an ex-girlfriend with whom he had been trying to make up.
Cops found him sleeping in the gold Peugeot.
He told cops he and Nicola had had an argument and he dropped her off in Oudtshoorn.
He was arrested on charges of theft and fraud and brought back to Cape Town, where he broke down on Sunday night and allegedly confessed to killing Nicola.
As the suspect, dressed neatly in blue jeans and checked shirt, walked into the courtroom, there was a deathly silence.
The bearded Oosthuizen appeared nervous, clenching his fists behind his back or in front of him, knuckles completely white.
State prosecutor Nathan Johnson reminded the court that murder was a schedule six offence and the State would oppose bail.
“We are accusing him of murder and attempted murder as the presumption at this time is that he slashed her stomach open first before strangling her,” said Johnson.
“This will be confirmed when the forensic investigation and the DNA tests are completed.
“His other charges are for the motor vehicle theft, fraud with (Nicola’s) petrol card and four other credit cards that he used.
“He also uses different aliases such as Wyngaard and Pienaar. So he uses three names.”
Johnson then confirmed: “Nicola was pregnant and her stomach slashed open. She was brutally killed and we are opposing any bail application brought as he is a flight risk.”
However, Legal Aid attorney for the defendant, Brent Heyns, said they would not be bringing a bail application at this time.
“I will confer with my client and we will bring a full application at a later stage,” said Heyns.
Magistrate Diane Blaauw then looked at Oosthuizen, asking: “Do you know that you have a right to apply for bail?”, to which Oosthuizen nodded.
Johnson asked for a postponement to April, but Blaauw denied this request, saying: “It is too long and the case will not go on trial here.”
A new date was set for March 17 for the investigation to be completed.
SUSPECT: JacobusOosthuizen, 32, is accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend Nicola Pienaar
Nicola’s parents, who are divorced, were in court. Psychologist Marlaine sat with colleague Bonita Kilowan.
She said she was relieved her only child’s alleged killer would remain behind bars.
“I’m glad he’s staying where he is,” she says.
“I am heartbroken over the loss of my daughter and just want to know what happened and why.
“I am trying to get through it, working through the pain.
“It’s a fact that nobody is immune to tragedy anymore and all we can do is find ways to heal.”
Nicola’s dad, Francois Pienaar, was accompanied by his wife and was escorted out of court.
None of Oosthuizen’s family or friends were at court.
Marlaine said Nicola would be cremated in Wellington on Tuesday.