Cape Town – The Guatemalan man accused of the murder of British marketing executive, Gabriela Alban, 39, in a Camps Bay hotel room, made a brief appearance in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, and was remanded to Friday, possibly for a bail application to be scheduled.
He is charged at this stage with premeditated murde, but prosecutor Carmen Daniels told the court that the investigation was ongoing, and that additional charges may be added, depending on the autopsy report.
It is alleged that Alban was strangled in a hotel room at a luxury Camps Bay hotel on July 29.
Diego Carlos Estuardo Dougherty Novella, 43, appeared before magistrate Joe Magele.
Defence lawyer William Booth said he had not been able to discuss the case fully with Novella, as consultations at Pollsmoor Prison were not allowed after hours or during weekends.
He said he hoped to have more information when Novello appeared again on August 7, and that it might be possible on that day to schedule a bail application.
He told the court: “I need proper instructions from my client about what happened on the night in question.”
ANA