1 week Ago
Jesse Mitchell (Supplied via gofundme.com) The teenager who stands accused of the brutal murder of a Stellenbosch first-year Bachelor of Science student will remain behind bars until next week. Rudolf Hufke appeared briefly in the Stellenbosch Magistrate's Court on Friday following his arrest, shortly after the murder of 19-year-old Jesse Mitchell on Wednesday, which was also Mitchell's 19th birthday.
READ | Three more arrested for Stellenbosch first-year student's murder Police said Mitchell had been riding his bike when he was robbed and stabbed in the neck. Hufke opted to use a Legal Aid representative to represent him in court. He is facing charges of murder and aggravated robbery.
While he was in the dock, Hufke occasionally turned around to look for a familiar face in the packed public gallery. Both the prosecutor and the defence indicated that they were opposed to having the accused's photo taken. Magistrate Alaric Amos ruled that no images could be taken inside the court, because the media's application could not be processed as the court's microphones were not working.
The application to take photos must be on record. Amos however indicated that images could be taken outside court. Amos postponed the case until Monday, and informed the accused that his trial could not proceed because the microphones in the courtroom were not working.
READ | Body of University of Limpopo student found in off-campus res room The court heard that more charges may be added against Hufke. "You are to remain in custody until Monday," Amos said to Hufke. The accused was then whisked away to the holding cells.
On Thursday, Stellenbosch Crime Prevention arrested three more suspects in the case, two males and a female. They are scheduled to make their court appearance once charged. We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives.
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