Cape Town - The father of murdered teenager Micheala Adriaanse, found himself in the dock – seconds after the man accused of killing his daughter had appeared in the same court.
Sean Adriaanse wept as he was summoned by the magistrate in the Muizenberg Magistrate’s Court while Bradley Noble, the man accused of killing and raping Micheala, was led back to the holding cell. Shortly after Noble’s matter was postponed and he was excused from the dock, Micheala’s father Sean swore loudly and pointed at him.
It was a second time that one of Micheala’s relatives had an outburst in court directed at Noble.
Magistrate Yusuf Kamedien told officers to bring Adriaanse to the front.
With tears streaming down his face, Adriaanse apologised to the court for the outburst. Kamedien excused him.
Noble, 36, of Coniston Park near Steenberg, was arrested after 16-year-old Micheala’s body was found in the mountains above Kalk Bay on Sunday, March 22. She went missing the previous Thursday, after she and some friends had set out for Muizenberg for the day.
Noble appeared on charges of rape and murder on Wednesday. He had initially appeared alongside Trevor Benn, 29, on Wednesday but charges were withdrawn against Benn, who had been arrested on the same charges.
The court heard that Noble had terminated the services of a Legal Aid attorney and elected to appoint a private attorney. The State will be opposing bail.
Kamedien told Noble there were aspects that would count against him in a bail application, including his previous convictions.
The large group of relatives and friends of the Adriaanse family who filled the gallery benches applauded.
Kamedien postponed the matter for seven days for Noble to appoint an attorney.
Earlier, before Noble appeared, a group gathered outside court waving posters with photos of Micheala, some of which read: “Away with rapists and murderers!” and “No bail for murderers!”
They chanted: “No bail! No bail!” When proceedings adjourned and the crowd funnelled out of the courtroom, emotions ran high in the quad outside. Some relatives comforted Micheala’s parents, Sean and Felicia.
Benn’s relatives clustered around him and quickly ushered him away from the court. He refused to comment.
Noble is expected back in court next Thursday.
Cape Argus