The man accused of killing two Kimberley police officers opted to abandon his bail application during his appearance in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
THE MAN accused of killing two Kimberley police officers opted to abandon his bail application during his appearance in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
Daniel Alberts, 38, is accused of fatally shooting Sergeant Kedimetse Masilo and Constable Okaetse Mandindi, who were attached to the Kimberley Flying Squad, following a high-speed car chase in the city on Tuesday.
In a statement read by his lawyer, Sharon Davids, Alberts claimed that he was a psychiatric patient and had been admitted to psychiatric facilities 27 times in the past.
Alberts has been charged with two counts of murder, three counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances and one count of theft of motor vehicle.
The courtroom was packed on Thursday and there was a heavy police presence when Alberts took to the stand.
Alberts, who was sporting a blue eye, told the court that he had been assaulted by the police to such an extent that he had vomited blood.
He also complained about his wrists, saying that his handcuffs were extremely tight.
The State told the court that investigations are not yet complete and that the post-mortem reports, witness statements and laboratory reports are still outstanding.
The State further requested the accused’s psychiatric reports and asked that he be referred for a one-day psychiatric evaluation.
National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said that Alberts is facing “serious charges”.
“The accused has been charged with two counts of murder. Once we have the results of the psychiatric report, we will know how to deal with the matter going forward. For now, he will be referred for assessment,” said Senokoatsane.
The two officers were reportedly shot and killed while trying to apprehend Alberts, who was wanted in connection with the theft of a motor vehicle in Bloemfontein.
Alberts allegedly shot the officers after he overpowered them and turned one of their own R5 rifles on them.
Both the officers were apparently shot four times.
The police arrested Alberts in Riverton later on Tuesday and allegedly found him in possession of the R5 rifle and an unlicensed firearm and drugs.
Community members who attended court on Thursday were outraged by Alberts’ claims.
A number of city residents said that the motive for the incident needed to be diligently investigated.
“It makes no sense that someone drove all the way from Bloemfontein in a stolen car only to end up killing two law enforcement officers. What was this man trying to hide and why did he not oblige the police when they tried to stop him? There is much more to the story than just a person who was trying to steal a car,” they said.
Others lambasted Alberts’ claims that he is a psychiatric patient.
“This man has killed two people who were just doing their job. He now wants to say that he is unwell and he is now the victim. So you can go around killing people because you are mentally-ill? If you can distinguish that you have a mental problem after killing two people, then there is nothing wrong with your mental state. That means you understand clearly that your actions were wrong. This man needs to be locked away,” they said.
Still others said Alberts was seeking sympathy after he claimed that he was assaulted by the police.
“He killed two colleagues of the police officers who arrested him. He is actually lucky that he was not shot dead during his arrest. Nobody would have even blamed the officers if they had killed this man when they were still looking for him. This man was armed and dangerous. He is lucky to be alive and he should have gotten more than just a few bruises,” they said.
The case was postponed to October 5, 2023.
