The Sizzlers gay massage parlour massacre, which claimed nine lives last January, was described in the Cape High Court on Monday as ”extraordinary, bizarre and weird”.
Prosecutor Anthony Stephen said the fact that the incident claimed nine lives was ”in itself a record”.
Before Judge Nathan Erasmus and assessor Martin Groenewald were alleged killers Adam Woest, a former waiter, and taxi driver Trevor Theys.
They were sent to the Valkenberg psychiatric hospital for 30 days’ observation at Stephen’s request.
Stephen told the court the defence team — advocate Mornay Calitz for Woest, and Christopher Ryke for Theys — agreed the two men should be sent for observation.
Stephen said the massacre was so bizarre that it was necessary to establish whether the two men had a mental disorder.
It was also necessary to determine whether they were capable of understanding the proceedings.
The case was postponed to March 2 when Woest and Theys are expected to plead to nine charges of murder, one of attempted murder, one of robbery with aggravating circumstances, one of theft, and two counts of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
Stephen told the court the killing boiled down to a robbery that went ”horribly out of control”.
In an unexpected development at Monday’s hearing, Ryke withdrew from the defence team, explaining Theys had changed his story so often that he had made it impossible for Ryke to defend him.
Erasmus warned both accused to cooperate with their psychiatric panels, and urged both psychiatric teams to prioritise the assessments in order to be completed when the trial proper starts.
He told Theys that a new defence counsel would be appointed for him free of charge by the Cape Bar Council. — Sapa