Murdered brothel owner Pedro Lopez was stabbed 20 times, allegedly by the partner of his drug-addicted make-up artist.
|||Cape Town - Murdered brothel owner Pedro Lopez was stabbed 20 times inside his Oranjezicht home, the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court has heard.
This was the evidence of investigating officer Constable Mechelace Adams, who testified in the bail application of Octavia Mulder, who worked for Lopez as a make-up artist.
Mulder, 20, and her boyfriend, Trevor Daries, 26, both of Mitchells Plain, pleaded not guilty to murder and aggravated robbery.
It is alleged they went to Lopez’s house on May 8.
In a confession, which Mulder claims she made while on drugs, she said she asked Lopez for the money that he owed her.
Mulder testified on Thurday that she was introduced to Lopez by a school friend when she was 17, and worked as a make-up artist for the prostitutes during the June 2010 school holidays. She worked for him five days a week, earning R100 for each girl. She told her parents she was working in an antiques shop.
The court heard Mulder has been addicted to heroin since 2007 and has been in and out of rehab since 2011. Asked why she wanted bail, Mulder said: “I didn’t kill the man, and I would really like to go to rehab. I won’t run away… and I want to be with my family.”
The States alleges that when Lopez, 38, refused to give Mulder the money she’d come for, there was a scuffle and Daries, who had a knife, stabbed Lopez in the back, chest, arm and feet.
Lopez also had a bite mark on his shoulder. Dental impressions of the couple’s teeth were taken and will be compared with the bite mark found during the autopsy.
The duo had allegedly demanded access to Lopez’s safe inside but only made off with Lopez’s cellphone.
Mulder was arrested in the house the next day and Daries, who had fled, was arrested shortly afterwards.
Adams said he opposed Mulder’s release on bail because of the seriousness of the crime and the fact her heroin addiction could lead her to commit further crimes.
But Gilbert Jose, for Mulder, said she had no criminal record, had a fixed address and would abide by conditions to ensure her court attendance.
Daries has abandoned his bail application.
Magistrate Alfrieda Lewis is expected to decide whether Mulder may be released on bail on Friday.
jade.otto@inl.co.za
Cape Argus