The state will be opposing bail for alleged wife murderer, Arnold Terblanche, since he is accused of a schedule 6 offense.
Terblanche (53) made his first court appearance in the Gqeberha Magistrate's Court this morning, November 19, alongside his co-accused, Reinhardt Leach (32) and 24-year-old Dylan Cullis for the murder of his estranged wife, Vicki Terblanche (42).
Her body was found buried in a shallow grave in Greenbushes late last month after she was reported missing by her boyfriend (Leach), two days prior.
It is alleged that she had been drugged, suffocated and/or strangled.
After his arrest on Wednesday evening at his home in Mill Park, Terblanche first appeared in Courtroom 27 earlier today, whereafter his case was transferred to a courtroom next door in order for him to appear together with his co-accused.
“The appearance is for the purpose of adding an accused person,” state prosecutor, adv. Melani Hammett, who stood in for adv. Marius Stander, said.
“The state will be opposing bail,” she added.
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The matter was then postponed to November 26 for formal bail application.
According to the charge sheet, apart from murder, the accused now also face charges of robbery, conspiracy to commit murder, the unlawful possession of a firearm and with regards to Leach, defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
This comes after they, along with another implicated suspect that cannot be named as he has not yet been arrested, allegedly murdered Terblanche by suffocating her with a pillow and/or strangling her having drugged her with schedule 6 medication, Percocet. They had allegedly also robbed her.
During today’s appearance, Terblanche seemed relaxed. As he entered the dock, dressed in a black shirt and formal black coat with a bottle of water in his hand, he nodded at the people in the gallery with a slight smile on his face. He also lifted his hand as a greeting to a few people also dressed in black, seated in the gallery.
Whilst Leach seemed down, Cullis remained indifferent.
