A man who had patients and staff of the New Somerset Hospital in fear after shooting three people dead at the weekend appeared at the Cape Town magistrate’s court on Tuesday.
The 39-year-old former policeman, Jean-Paul Carl Malgas, was charged with three counts of murder. Malgas shot Constable Donay Phillips in the head before turning the gun on two other patients who also succumbed to gunshot wounds on Saturday night. Phillips had been stationed at the hospital to guard a patient.
Malgas was also charged with illegal possession of a firearm, ammunition, and robbery.
National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson at the Western Cape division, Eric Ntabazalila, said the state told the court that it is still waiting for a postmortem report, ballistic report, and witness statements.
“The court ordered that no pictures of the accused be taken, as the identity parade still needed to be conducted,” said Ntabazalila, adding that the accused also advised the court that he suffers from severe depression and is suicidal.
The matter was postponed to June 30 for further investigation and the suspect was remanded in police custody after he abandoned bail.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here
