Family murder-accused Fanie du Preez showed no emotion as he appeared in court for the first time on Monday morning for allegedly shooting dead his wife and two teenage children.
Wearing denim jeans, a black-checkered shirt and his wedding ring, the 39-year-old stood quietly in the dock in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court as family of his slain wife, Thea, looked on teary-eyed.
“We were his family for 20 years… we socialised together; we genuinely had good times together,” said Riana Coertzer, one of Thea’s sisters.
“I don’t understand this… How does a normal man with a normal life and two great children end up in a hole like this?”
She said his parents were not at court on Monday.
“I understand why his parents do not want to be here. I would not want to see my child like that.”
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He is facing charges of premeditated murder for shooting dead Thea, 43, and their children Carlia, 17 and Phillip, 14, late last week. He has blamed drug lords for the murders at his house at night, saying he was in the garage at the time of the shootings. His daughter was reportedly shot six times and found with a cellphone in her hand.
Riana Coetzer said his parents believed in his innocence.
“They genuinely believe he did not do it.”
Thea’s other sister, Rina Fouche, told how she had now lost most of her family because her mother, father and brother also died a few years ago.
“We now have a bigger family in heaven than we have on earth.”
She said she visited the house where the murders took place.
“They haven’t allowed us to see my sister or her children.”
The matter was postponed to Tuesday for Du Preez to get legal aid ahead of his bail application.
Fanie Du Preez sits in the dock, head down as proceedings get under way. (Wim Pretorius, News24)
Source: News24
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