There was a brief outburst in the Durban Regional Court from Mohammed Ebrahim, the man accused of murdering 9-year-old Durban boy Miguel Louw.
"This is not justice. I want to see my father," he yelled out as he was taken into police custody.
He will be spending Christmas in prison after Magistrate Sifiso Luthuli ruled the case would return on January 31, to allow police to wrap up their investigation.
Ebrahim was incensed when Luthuli handed down his decision, standing up in defiance and saying that police should have completed their investigation.
The magistrate, however, quickly ordered him to be quiet.
"This is a court. You cannot express yourself in this way. If you have an issue, you must talk to your lawyer."
Delivering his decision, Luthuli emphasised that Ebrahim had been uncooperative and combative when he took the stand in his bail application.
"Ebrahim was a poor witness. He was argumentative and evasive. He was economical with his details of his version. His attitude was that he should only disclose to the court on what he is asked about."
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Luthuli added that Ebrahim – who was the last person seen with Louw at a KFC in Sydenham on July 17 – had been evasive and less than truthful about the fact that he was with the boy on the day.
"He did not tell [the] boy's mother or police that he had met the deceased after school. That was disingenuous. He only admitted to it after police showed him footage."
'The stakes are higher now'
Luthuli said that Ebrahim was a flight risk.
"If released on bail, he will attempt to evade his trial. I say so because he lives at a Wendy house at his parents. His assets are minimal. He has not stayed there all the time. For one year, he moved out and stayed somewhere else in Phoenix."
He said that, even though Ebrahim had never previously missed a court date, he had now been charged with murder.
"That is all well and good, but the stakes are higher now. He has been charged with premeditated murder, which comes with a life sentence."
Luthuli said that Ebrahim had also attempted to meet with Louw's mother when he was previously out on bail.
"This means there is a likelihood that if released on bail, the accused will attempt to influence or intimidate witnesses and conceal evidence."