Cape Town - Guatemalan murder accused Diego Dougherty has been denied bail in the Cape Town Regional Court.
On Tuesday, Magistrate Grant Engel said in reaching his decision to deny Dougherty bail he had considered a number of facts. These included that Dougherty had never had any formal employment, the accused has no immediate family other than siblings, the accused had travelled extensively, had the financial means to hide anywhere and could easily forfeit his bail.
Engel said there was no extradition treaty between South Africa and Guatemala and pointed out that the State has a very strong circumstantial case against Dougherty.
“The accused is indeed a flight risk,” said the magistrate.
Dougherty is from a prominent and wealthy family in Guatemala, which runs a successful cement business.
Dougherty is appearing on the murder charges as Diego Novella. But his brother told the press earlier this month that their family name is Dougherty.
The accused allegedly murdered his American girlfriend, Gabriela Kabrins Alban, on July 29 last year while they were holidaying together in Cape Town.
Alban’s body was found in the hotel room they were sharing at the exclusive boutique hotel, the Camps Bay Retreat.
On Tuesday Alban’s parents were visibly relieved when Magistrate Engel denied bail to the accused.
Alban’s father, Howdy Kabrins, sobbed as the accused was led out the courtroom.
Her mother, Doris Weitz, will return to America on Tuesday afternoon, but both said they would return to South Africa for the trial.
A small group of Jewish women came to show their support. Kabrins met them at the Camps Bay schul, where he has been saying the kaddish, a Jewish prayer of mourning, for his daughter.
African News Agency