Siphakeme .Mnindwa
Trish Mukwazo, [email protected]
A BULAWAYO couple appeared in court on Tuesday facing charges of kidnapping in connection with an incident that allegedly occurred in October last year.
Maria Magdalena Marina van der Spuy (46) and her husband, Troy van der Spuy (55), both of Hillside suburb, appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Joseph Mabeza on charges of kidnapping. They were remanded out of custody until February 12.
The prosecutor, Mr Dominic Moyo, informed the court that on October 12 last year, the accused allegedly blocked a vehicle occupied by two of Maria’s former colleagues from leaving a private residence in Bulawayo’s Hillside suburb.
The couple allegedly confronted one of the occupants, demanding an audience with him for undisclosed reasons. The situation escalated when Maria and Troy allegedly circled the vehicle aggressively, prompting the four occupants to flee and seek refuge in a nearby yard for over an hour.
During this time, the couple is said to have photographed the house and made several phone calls to unidentified individuals.
The victims, aware of Maria’s acrimonious dismissal from her previous job, feared for their safety and contacted their employers and the police. It was revealed in court that Maria had been receiving treatment for a mental health condition, while Troy’s erratic behaviour, linked to his autism, further heightened the victims’ alarm.
Under the country’s laws, obstructing an adult’s freedom of movement is considered a criminal offence.
