Hero cop’s widow gets bail

An emotional Margaretha (Elizabeth) de Bruin hugged her family members soon after she was released on bail on Monday.

De Bruin, 28, is the wife of police hero and National Intervention Unit (NIU) member Daniel “Kraai” de Bruin, who was killed in a police helicopter disaster last year.

She was arrested in the early hours of last Saturday morning while sitting in the alleged getaway car of two suspects attempting to rob Jopiko’s Pub and Grill in Hermanstad.

De Bruin wept when she approached family members outside the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court where she had appeared with co-accused Marthinus Nel, 22, and a 17-year-old youth.

Magistrate Bheki Ntshingila granted De Bruin and Nel bail of R1 500 each.

The minor was released into the custody of his mother.

According to the charge sheet, the three are charged with pointing (something) “likely to lead a person to believe it is a firearm” and impersonating a police officer.

State Prosecutor Moses Poo said the court was in possession of a statement by the owner of Jopiko’s Pub and Grill in which he states that Nel and the minor entered the pub. Poo said the pair had what turned out to be a gas-powered pistol.

According to the State, the pair held customers at gunpoint and pointed a firearm at a Constable Sishani. Poo said the docket would be referred to the Senior Public Prosecutor for a decision.

The first thing De Bruin did soon after tasting freedom, was to have a smoke before buying a bottle of Coke at a spaza shop opposite the Atteridgeville police station.

A sobbing De Bruin told her family members in Afrikaans, “Ek is onskuldig … ek het dit nie gedoen nie (I am innocent… I didn’t do it).”

Nel’s family members tried to hide his face from photographers as he left the court.

They also swore at the photographers who tried to take pictures of Nel before they drove off.

The pair allegedly used the appointment certificates of De Bruin’s husband to con customers into believing they were policemen.

They then allegedly threatened the pub’s patrons with a toy gun shortly after they walked into the pub.

The three, caught in possession of a gas-powered pistol and a civilian bulletproof vest, first appeared in court on March 7.

The case was postponed to Monday for a bail application.

The minor failed to attend court proceedings on March 7 and handed in a doctor’s note stating that he was not well on March 6, the night before his court appearance.

Ntshingila said he wanted to know why he was not in court on the court date as the date on the doctor’s note was March 6 and not March 7.

The minor’s mother tried to explain, but Ntshingila said the court would hold an enquiry to determine why he was not in court.

De Bruin’s arrest on March 5 came eight months after her husband (“Kraai”) and four of his colleagues, including his commander Percy Maduna, were killed in a helicopter crash.

The five were being flown by Pretoria Air Wing helicopter pilots, Captain Wikus Zaayman and Warrant Officer Thinus Gouws to eMalahleni (Witbank) to assist in an armed robbery when the aircraft crashed killing all seven policemen. De Bruin was among the widows who attended a medal parade in honour of the dead policemen – who were posthumously awarded the Gold Cross for Bravery medals in December. The case is back in court on April 1. - Pretoria News