Cape Town - A Guatemalan man who was referred for psychiatric observation for the alleged murder of a US business woman in a room at a Camps Bay hotel, is still waiting for a bed to become available at the Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital, the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court heard on Wednesday.
Diego Novella, 41, made a brief appearance before magistrate Jackie Muller, who ordered that he remain in custody until his next appearance on October 30.
Novello is in custody, awaiting trial, in the hospital section at Pollsmoor Prison.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, defence attorney Asghar Mia said Novella was number 83 on the waiting list for a bed at Valkenberg Hospital.
At his previous appearance, magistrate Grant Engel referred Novella to Valkenberg Hospital for 30 days observation, at the request of the defence.
State advocate Louise Friesler-Sampson, of the Western Cape Directorate for Public Prosecutions, is to prosecute the case when Novella goes on trial in the Western Cape High Court.
His court appearances are in connection with the death of Gabriela Alban, 39, whose body was found in a room at a luxury Camp’s Bay hotel on July 29.
Novella and the deceased woman had been sharing the room on the night that she died.
It was revealed in earlier court proceedings that Novella was found wandering around half-naked, on the Camp’s Bay beach.
The court heard that, when asked where Alban was, Novella replied: “She is dead.”
This led to the discovery of her body in the room.
ANA