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Pretoria - Dawid Connoway, 39, made his first appearance in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Monday for the murder of his ex-girlfriend last week.
He was charged with murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and pointing of a firearm at her place of work in Moreleta Park, outside Pretoria.
Answering questions by Magistrate Desmond Nair, it emerged that he had previously paid an admission of guilt fine for assault, and had once had a restraining order brought against him.
He was not sure of the proper name for the restraining order saying: ''They just gave me a piece of paper that I must not bother a person,'' he said, adding that it was to do with the man the mother of his child was seeing, and was an old case.
Dressed in a blue checked shirt and faded jeans, the unshaven Connoway acknowledged that he owned a firearm.
Nair warned him to be truthful about past convictions, or else face a fine of R80 000 or two years in prison.
Firearm stolen
He said that the firearm had been stolen and then recovered and there was uncertainty over whether it had been cleared properly by the police after its recovery. He named the two police officials who booked his firearm out for him when it was cleared.
Prosecutor Sipho Letsoalo took Nair through Nicolene Schreuder's last moments on Wednesday - when Connoway arrived at her work, went through security and had her called by a receptionist.
They had reportedly broken up recently.
''About three minutes later, the receptionist heard shots," Letsoalo said.
Schreuder was shot in the forehead, and died.
Connoway allegedly also pointed his gun at a security guard on his way out. The guard dropped the gate remote as he ran for cover and Connoway sped off. He went into hiding on his family's farm in Bronkhorstspruit, where he was arrested on Thursday.
Sombre courthouse
His mother and stepfather were arrested on a charge of obstructing the course of justice.
Letsoalo wanted Connoway to be charged with committing a pre-planned crime - a ''Section 6'' which carries stiffer penalties.
The mood in the court was sombre, with his father sitting in a front bench, his eyes red, and holding a tissue.
The case was postponed to May 18 for further investigation and a bail application.
Afterwards, the investigating officer, Constable Lenners Ngubeni, agreed with the prosecutor that he would clarify the situation over whether the gun was licensed or not.
Another case
A few ANC Women's League members in black and green twin sets sat in on the case and when it was finished, more women filed in for the next case: that of Richard Motswene - also accused of the murder of an ex, Lerato Motswege.
Her brother-in-law Mike Mabugane was among those wearing T-shirts with Motswege's photograph printed on it.
He told News24 that Motswege was about to break it off with Motswene, who she had met in church, because he was allegedly beating her.
A week before her death he threatened to kidnap her and allegedly threatened to kill her mother, said Mabugane.
He found her on her way to work at Edgars in Centurion, took her to a guesthouse in Silverton, and allegedly killed her.
''We don't want him to get bail,'' said Mabugane, as the ANCWL sang songs in protest against violence against women and waved posters to spread their message.
