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Cape Town - “I want to see his face,” a family member of slain American marketing executive Gabriella Kabrins Alban said, as she squeezed into a seat reserved for lawyers at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
She was part of a group of Americans, understood to be loved ones of the 39-year-old victim, who filled a section of the courtroom where Guatemalan Diego Guarte appeared on a murder charge.
The accused was reportedly Alban's boyfriend.
Wearing a blue tracksuit, the 41-year-old accused avoided eye contact with all but the magistrate and a Spanish interpreter.
The State would be opposing bail once an application is made, said prosecutor Carmen Davids, citing the incident was as a Schedule 6 offense.
Schedule 6 offences are premeditated.
William Booth, for the accused, said the State would have to prove planning of the incident.
The case was postponed to Friday, August 7, to allow Booth to consult with his client.
Davids said the accused could face additional charges, confirming police’s investigation into the incident was still underway.
The post-mortem had not yet been finalised, she added.
Alban’s body was found in a hotel room at the Camps Bay Retreat last Wednesday.
According to family, she is understood to have been strangled.
