GEORGE NEWS - The man arrested in connection with the fatal house fire on the corner of Meade and Palgrave streets in George on Monday morning, 3 August, has been identified as the 40-year-old Damian du Plessis.
Du Plessis appeared in the George Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Wednesday 5 August, on charges of arson and defeating the ends of justice.
He appeared calm as he addressed the court in fluent English.
The case was postponed to 12 August for the verification of his residential address and further bail information. He applied for Legal Aid representation. Du Plessis has no previous convictions on record and remains in custody.
The George fire brigade and police had rushed out to the house after 05:00 on Monday, where they found Du Plessis sitting on the pavement near the burning house. It was only after the fire was extinguished that the police found a body on a bed in one of the rooms.
The police and forensic investigators spent hours combing the scene for evidence. According to information George Herald received, Du Plessis rented the house with his mother.
The police have not yet released the name of the deceased. The body was badly burnt, and the police are awaiting the results from the autopsy that was conducted on Tuesday, to confirm the sex and cause of death.
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