Everything we know about murder accused Marthinus Pelser’s court case

It’s been a full year following the arrest of Marthinus Pelser (23), who is accused of the murder of his six-month-old son Deon.

The baby was found dead in his cot with a fractured skull and multiple burn wounds on 11 June last year.

The baby’s mother alleged that when she arrived home, she found Pelser exiting the bathroom with a knife. When she hurried to check on her baby, Pelser fled in the couple’s Kia Picanto.

The accused evaded arrest until 15 June last year when a woman spotted his car at a Sasol garage on Christiaan de Wet Road and immediately informed the Honeydew police.

READ: Witness who first spotted Pelser speaks out

Pelser has made numerous appearances in the Roodepoort Magistrates’ Court, physically and via an audio-visual remand system (AVR) since his arrest. The system is used to reduce the risk of ferrying accused prisoners to and from court.

The community showed its support for baby Deon last year by attending the court case dressed in white shirts. A Facebook page, Justice for Baby Deon and a petition against awarding bail, were also initiated.

The matter was postponed a number of times for the court to conduct an analysis of the accused’s writing after a note, now used as evidence in court, was found at the scene.

READ: State to analyse Pelser’s handwriting

According to a report by the Roodepoort Record, the note reads ‘Do not look in the cot’ and ‘I am sorry for what I have done’.

The publication also reported that the court had completed its analysis, however, the results were not disclosed.

Pelser’s trial is set to resume on 11 to 14 September and he will also appear on 21 September.

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