Cochrane murder accused banned from Westlake
A court ruling has prohibited murder-accused Darren Mettler from entering Westlake.
The new bail condition was set when he appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday April 11.
Mr Mettler has been charged with the murder of his childhood friend, Roger Cochrane.
Police say Mr Cochrane, a father of two girls aged 2 and 16, died of blunt-force trauma to the head in January (“Call to withdraw R1000 bail for murder accused,” Bulletin, March 21).
The case has been postponed to Tuesday June 11 for further investigation. The court is awaiting a post-mortem report that is still outstanding, and the suspected murder weapon will be tested for DNA.
Mr Mettler was granted R1000 bail at an earlier court appearance, but the State applied to add the further bail condition, saying the Cochrane family had seen Mr Mettler in Westlake and they feared for their safety.
The accused’s attorney, Revonia Campher, told the court that Mr Cochrane had not entered Westlake since he was granted bail and he was being mistaken for his father.
“His father fetched his clothing where he used to live, and the vehicle that his father was driving is the vehicle that is said to be normally used by the accused. Secondly, if the court should look at the accused’s father today and the accused, there are very striking similarities. With that having been said, in the first place, the accused person did not go and stay in the Westlake area. However, out of respect for the family of the deceased, we do not have objections to further addition to the bail.”
A 500-signature petition opposing Mr Mettler’s bail was presented to the court by Westlake resident and friend of the family Muneebah Ganief.
Mr Cochrane’s friends and family who were at court expressed unhappiness with the court’s decision to add a bail condition instead of cancelling bail, and they said the police’s investigation into Mr Cochrane’s death was too slow.
Mr Cochrane’s mother, Matilda Cochrane, also disagreed with Ms Campher’s claim that Westlake residents had confused Mr Mettler with his father.
“We didn't mistake him for his father; we know him and his father. He is still coming into Westlake because he buys his drugs there. The magistrate can't just listen to one side of the story because we wouldn't have gone the extra mile by petitioning, hand it in, walking up and down for nothing,” she said.
Ms Ganief said she had also seen the accused in Westlake. “I was there when he came to pick up his clothes. He came with his father and uncle. But after that he was repeatedly seen in Westlake to buy his drugs, and where he buys his drugs is where I live. I saw him myself. The investigation is too slow. This thing is going to drag.”
Asked about the allegations that Mr Mettler had been seen buying drugs in Westlake, Junaid Jumat, the director of Roelf Jumat Attorneys, the firm representing the accused, said: "Our client will not be making any comments."
