Cape Town - The case involving the involving the Delft man accused of ploughing his car into a five-year-old girl will not continue until next year.
Darren Hill, 19, made a brief appearance in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, where he faces a charge of culpable homicide.
On September 10, Hill was reportedly driving a multicoloured Nissan Skyline when it came spinning down the narrow street of Ivoorhout, tragically killing Tamara Goss, who was found trapped under a pile of bricks. He is currently out on R3 000 bail.
Goss’s aunt, Charmaine Fillies, remembered that just before the incident, she warned the little girl to stay indoors.
However, when she went back inside, they heard a loud crash.
“We ran out, so the car reversed, I told the opposite neighbour to take the registration, without knowing our child was lying under the bricks,” Fillies said.
Fillies said after knocking the girl, Hill allegedly drove away but was later fetched and assaulted by members of the community.
“They went to fetch him because we didn’t know him, his words were that he drove away to fetch his mommy.
“He drove away because he thought no-one saw him,” Fillies said.
During court proceedings, it was revealed that Hill was driving without a driver’s licence at the time.
The case was postponed to February 5 due to the post-mortem report and accident report being outstanding.
A heartbroken Fillies said the justice system has so far failed them, alleging the detective has been “slacking with the investigation”.
“We lost a child, he has the right to sleep at night, to eat and go where he wants to,” Fillies said.
“There was no communication regarding the case, we never had a chance to appeal. If we didn’t go to the police station to ask questions, then we would’ve been in the dark.”
Fillies said the family will now face a bleak festive season without Goss, who she described as a bubbly person.
Meanwhile, Hill and members of his family swiftly left the court following the proceedings on Wednesday.
Goss's mother, Jammy Lee Goss, further expressed her disappointment at the court's decision to postpone.
“We don't feel what happened today is what we expected to happen with the outcome,” she said while the tears were rolling from her face.
Goss was supposed to start her schooling journey at the start of the new year.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za