One of the four men implicated in the murder and rape case of Franziska Blöchliger wants to plead guilty to his role in the brutal crime.
As a result, State advocates have now separated the cases against Howard Oliver, Jerome Moses, Jonathan Jonas and Daniel Easter.
The group appeared in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday where they face charges of murder, rape and robbery with aggravated circumstances.
This relates to the gruesome murder in March this year where Franziska was found strangled to death in Tokai forest.
The teenager was raped and robbed of her cellphone when she went jogging by herself.
On Wednesday, it emerged in court that Easter intended to plead guilty to being in possession of Franziska’s cellphone, while his co-accused Moses is expected to enter into a plea and sentencing agreement which has not yet been finalised.
Moses is alleged to have sold Franziska’s cellphone to Easter.
Lawyers representing Moses brought an application before the court to have Moses’ bail conditions relaxed.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, says the application was brought forward because the accused, Moses, intended to check himself into a rehab.
“Moses has to report at the Kirstenbosch Police Station three times per week,” says Ntabazalila. “He has applied to attend a rehab facility in Elsies River as an in-patient. He will be at the facility for eight weeks and the defence has requested that he doesn’t report to a police station from 23 November to January 20, and after that he will go back to his previous bail conditions.”
Ntabazalila says they are ready to go ahead with Moses’ plea and sentencing agreement, as well as Easter’s guilty plea but first have to conclude Oliver’s bail application.
Oliver was expected to launch a second bail bid yesterday but could not as no magistrate was available.
Court resumes on 6 December.