Cape Town Scot murder accused’s trial fitness doubt

Sandra Malcolm's body was found at her Cape Town home in April. Picture: Contributed

Sandra Malcolm’s brutalised body was found at her Cape Town home on April 19 when her grandson reportedly climbed in a window when she didn’t answer the door.

Reports in South Africa say her attackers had mutilated her, although police would not confirm this.

Sandra, 74, originally from Dundee, was found on a Sunday morning at the Capri Mews complex in the Marina Da Gama area of the city.

The pensioner had been planning to return to Scotland just weeks later to visit family in Tayside.

Her death sparked a massive manhunt that eventually led to the arrest of Sheree Prince, 18, from Citrusdal, north of Cape Town.

But now she has been committed to a state psychiatric hospital for assessment ahead of further legal proceedings.

A Cape Town court was told Prince had exhibited “strange behaviour” after suffering from a potentially deadly meningitis infection as a child.

A spokesman for South Africa’s National Prosecution Service said: “The police told the court that the accused suffered from meningitis when she was at school at a young age.

“After that she showed strange behaviour, her behaviour changed.

“The state did not contest information from the police... and the court made an order that the accused be referred for 30 days to the Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital.”

The prosecution spokesman added: “Sheree Prince appeared in court on Thursday and there was a preliminary inquiry and statements were handed in by the state as well as the South African Police Services Clinical Psychology Unit.

“For now she will be an awaiting patient at the Pollsmoor Prison until a bed is available at hospital.”

Sandra had lived in South Africa for 35 years and is survived by two daughters, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Her nephew, Colin Chalmers, of Dundee, said the family had been left “distraught”.

He said: “My parents, her sister and brother-in-law, are absolutely in bits.

“I’m absolutely gobsmacked, I’ve never had to deal with anything like this before, it’s completely shocking.

“All I know is that my auntie has been murdered, I don’t want to court any of the rumours around it because we know very little at this stage.”

One neighbour, who asked not to be identified, told reporters they were horrified by the murder.

He said: “This is a quiet community, this is shocking, I still cannot believe it.

“I saw her on Saturday afternoon last. She had some friends over.”

He described his murdered neighbour as “friendly” and “burly”, adding: “It’s so strange because we didn’t hear anything, no struggle or a gunshot.

“She wouldn’t let anyone get to her. It’s so strange because we didn’t hear anything, no struggle or a gunshot.

“The grandson, we understand, found her after climbing through the bathroom window.

“I left for church before 10am and I walked past her flat and I didn’t hear or see anything.

“When I came back from church I saw the police vans and they said she had been murdered.

“The family is so shaken they are not in a state to speak.”

South African news networks reported that neighbours said Sandra was last seen with friends on the Saturday afternoon prior to her death.

The city’s Daily Voice newspaper said residents claimed they did not hear any gunshots or sounds of struggle during the night or on the Sunday morning.

Police in Cape Town - described by South African media as “one of the murder capitals of the world” - said a post-mortem revealed the cause of death to be multiple stab wounds.

Forensic experts and detectives combed the scene for hours, with traumatised neighbours and relatives standing around.