Family of alleged cop killer, Craig De Lilly, say they hope for fair process in his case
De Lilly is accused of shooting on-duty traffic officer Walton Van Rooyen to death in March 2020 in Kensington.
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CAPE TOWN - The family of alleged cop killer, Craig De Lilly, said it's hoping for a just and fair process in his case.
De Lilly is accused of shooting on-duty traffic officer Walton van Rooyen to death in March 2020 in Kensington.
De Lilly, a taxi driver, was then arrested, but charges were provisionally withdrawn a month later.
He's now been re-arrested after new information emerged and has appeared in court to face murder charges.
Forty-one-year-old De Lilly, was previously sentenced to 12 years in prison in 1999 while still a minor for attempted rape, kidnapping and robbery.
However, the accused's aunts, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, said their nephew was not the monster that he's portrayed to be.
"He was sentenced not to 20-odd years, but he was sentenced to 12 years. He did 10 years, and he came out, and his mom sent him back to finish his other two years. Then he came out and was never with a gang. The cheap tattoos that JP Smith, that he spoke about, he got those in prison. What do you expect of a 15-year-old boy? But he came out and joined a taxi association; he was never with a gang, maybe in prison, but not outside."
They added that while they have empathy for the deceased family, they do believe that the accused is being treated unfairly.
"We feel for that wife, we feel for those kids. We have kids ourselves, but don't do this a second time around to Craig De Lilly, we are not going to allow it. We cannot give an apology; we feel it for the deceased family, but we cannot give an apology for something our kid did not do."