Rob Packham, the Constantia man accused of killing his wife, has to surrender all his electronic devices after the Western Cape High Court heard on Friday that he had breached his bail conditions by trying to contact a former mistress, who is a State witness in the case.
Mr Packham, 57, must also pay an extra
R25 000 on top of the R50 000 bail he has already posted, and will remain under house arrest but will be allowed to visit a nearby shopping mall once a week, attend church on Sunday mornings, visit a medical practitioner in the case of an emergency and travel to meet with his lawyers.
He must report to the Diep River police station every day and notify his investigating officer every time he leaves and returns home.
The Zimbabwe-born businessman was arrested in March and faces charges of murdering his wife and defeating the ends of justice.
He was arrested shortly after Gill Packham’s body was found in the boot of her burnt-out BMW at the Diep River train station on Thursday February 22 (“Burnt body found after woman disappears,” Bulletin February 26).
Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Ivan Sonnenberg testified that Mr Packham’s former mistress had told police that the accused had visited her at work to drop flowers and a card several months after he had been released on bail.
This is the first time that an affair has been mentioned in court since Mr Packham’s arrest earlier this year. Mr Packham is due back in the dock on Friday October 5 for his pre-trial conference.
