Lotter murder accused Matthew Naidoo was on Tuesday released on R20 000 bail by a Pinetown regional magistrate.
Naidoo (22), wearing a red shirt and blue jeans, smiled broadly when magistrate Yugan Naidu read out his decision.
It was his second bid for bail.
Naidu ordered as one of the bail conditions that Naidoo have no communication with his co-accused, Nicolette Lotter (26) or her brother Hardus.
The trio are accused of murdering the siblings’ parents, Johannes and Magdalena Lotter, in their Westville, Durban, home last year.
Nicolette, Naidoo’s former girlfriend, has said in a confession she believed he was the ”son of God” because he was able to make predictions that came true.
She said he was ”a medium that God and evil could use to speak to them”.
Naidoo, initially refused bail, reapplied on the grounds that he had been prejudiced by the long delay in bringing the case to trial.
He also said he had been assaulted at Westville Prison and feared for his life.
Investigating officer Kubendran Naidoo told the court on Tuesday that he had visited Westville Prison and found Naidoo was being kept in the ”protection section” of the prison where ”vulnerable people” were kept.
This section, he said, was mainly for police members, military officers, security guards and correctional service members.
The accused had been placed there in September last year.
”The protection section is a non-violent area … If any inmate in that section is part of any violence, they would be sent to the normal detention facility as a deterrent,” said the officer.
”They also have a system in place for complaints and requests … and they have not received any complaints [from the accused],” he continued.
During cross examination, Naidoo’s attorney Rajendra Nathalal asked the officer whether he was aware that his client was being kept in an overcrowded cell.
The officer said he was not aware of it.
Asked if he was aware that the accused had been intimidated and assaulted, the officer said he was not aware of it but stressed that no complaints had been registered.
Prosecutor Rea Mina told the court there were ”possible delays” in the case but asked that the seriousness of the charges be taken into account.
”The accused faces life imprisonment and the bail money is not his … He has disappeared before … Nothing can stop him from fleeing,” she said.
In his judgement, the magistrate said the siblings’ attorney Danie Grundlingh had indicated that the matter would take between 10 to 15 months to proceed to trial.
He noted that Naidoo was being prejudiced because of the delay, and placed him in his family’s care at their Sastri Park home.
He also ordered that Naidoo report to the Phoenix police station five times a week.
The case was postponed to March 6. — Sapa