Man accused of Cullinan farm murder abandons bail

A 37-year-old man accused of murdering an elderly man on a Cullinan farm and severely assaulting his wife abandoned bail on Monday.

The accused, whose name is known to The Citizen but will not be published until he pleads, appeared at the Cullinan Magistrate’s Court.

He is charged with murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and possession of stolen property.

ALSO READ: Two elderly people killed, more attacked across SA farms this week

Deceased found on the dining room floor

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in Gauteng, Lumka Mahanjana said the incident occurred at about 2pm on 20 July 2024.

“A police officer responded to a farm attack at Plot 2 Louwsbaken, Cullinan, where he found two witnesses. The witnesses told the police that they received a call from the daughter of the victims telling them that her parents were not responding to her calls and asked them to check on them,” Mahanjana said.

“When they arrived at the farm, they found the 81-year-old man murdered by an unknown suspect.

ALSO READ: Body found in septic tank as elderly couple murdered on farm north of Bloemfontein

“When the police officer went inside the house to check, he found the deceased on the dining room floor with an open wound on his head, and his feet tied with a wire. His wife was found on the kitchen floor with injuries.”

The woman was taken to hospital and is still receiving medical care.

Investigations led to the accused being arrested five days later at his home where some of the stolen items were found.

The matter was postponed to 26 September 2024 for further investigations and the accused is remanded in custody.

Rouxville farm attacker gets 27 years

Last week in a separate incident, Armand Opperman was sentenced to 27 years imprisonment for the culpable homicide and robbery of 62-year-old Lance Arthur Da Silva at the deceased’s farm in Rouxville, Free State.

Rouxville Magistrate Court sentenced Opperman, 39, for the crimes 15 months after they occurred. The State tried to prove it was murder but they were unsuccessful.

Da Silva was found with a gunshot wound to the left temple in the main bedroom on the farm Windpoort, at about 2.30pm on 4 May last year.

Opperman, who was allegedly living with the deceased on the farm, went on the run and was arrested in Gqeberha the following day.