A foster mother accused of bashing a nine-month-old baby to death will spend Christmas in the mang after her bail hearing was postponed.
Priscilla Morris, 40, of Vrygrond made her second appearance in the Muizenberg Magistrates’ Court for the murder of little Caswell Frans.
The baby boy’s body was discovered in a shallow grave on a field in Vrygrond on Monday after Priscilla’s sister piemped her to police.
Court proceedings were delayed on Wednesday due to the unavailability of Legal Aid lawyers, but yesterday the woman confirmed she would be applying for bail.
The matter was postponed to 30 December and she was sent to Pollsmoor Prison for Christmas.
Oupa Caswell, 52, says while they are happy she was sent to jail, the festive season remained a difficult time for them as they come to grips with the cruel manner in which the child died.
“The state will be opposing her release because she is a danger to the children in the community and the witnesses.
“We are still in shock about what happened to him,” he said.
In the past two days, it has been alleged that Priscilla had abused baby Caswell for months by beating, attempting to drown him and starving him while social workers ignored the complaints.
The oupa, who the child was named after, says he will never forget standing in a winkel looking for a Christmas present when he heard the shocking news.
“We are very traumatised, hartseer and just devastated.
“On Monday when my daughter called me with the news after the police arrived at our home, I was actually in the shop to look for a present for him.”
He says the family had planned a lunch for Christmas Day, and relatives would enjoy time with the baby.
“It would have been Caswell’s first Christmas and we wanted to do something special,” he adds.
“For most babies, pictures of the first Christmas is a special memory and that is what we wanted to create for him.
“Now we don’t think we will even celebrate at all.
“We are in a state.”