Photo: Monique Duval Photo: Monique Duval
Cape Town – Angry Bonteheuwel aunties gathered outside the Bishop Lavis Magistrate's Court on Wednesday calling for Patrick Hendricks to rot in jail for allegedly bashing his girlfriend to death with a concrete slab.
Relatives, friends and neighbours of Jill-Paula Fernandez, 49, say they are struggling to come to grips with the brutal way she was allegedly beaten by Hendricks, 49, during an argument on 22 December last year.
The beloved childminder, who worked at an adoption agency, had been left for dead in the street. She was rushed to Vangate Hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
Hendricks disappeared after the incident, but later handed himself over to Pinelands police. He remains behind bars.
Wearing a grey hoodie and tracksuit pants, Hendricks made his second appearance in court yesterday where he was told his case would be postponed to 10 April for further investigations.
Shortly afterwards, neighbours gathered at a gate near the holding cells where they hurled insults at Hendricks, calling him a “bastard”, “tief” and “vark”.
Neighbour Cathy Arendse says: “Hy het haar so hard geslaan dat haar valse tande in haar keel vasgesit het (He hit her so hard that her false teeth got stuck in her throat). Hy was klaar uit op parole vir rape (He was already out on parole on rape). Hy is ’n vark (He is a pig)!”
Her heartbroken sister Gail says while more than 800 people attended Jill’s funeral, the family was not aware that Hendricks had abused her.
“Sy het dit van ons weggesteek (She hid it from us). We did not know that he was hitting her. Her death has been very had on us and we just want justice for Jill.”