The Garden Route community remains gripped by the tragic murder of former Plettenberg Bay detective Anneke “Nicky” van Heerden, as her alleged killer, 53-year-old local driftwood artist Bevan van Druten, formerly of Sedgefield, returned to court on Monday 26 January for a bail hearing. Unfortunately proceedings were stalled and the decision as to whether or not he will be allowed out on bail was pushed to Thursday, 29 January.

According to a SAPS report, Van Heerden’s fatally injured body was found at approximately 22.30 on 18 January, at Keurbooms Beach near Rivertides, after reports of a woman screaming had been made by neighbours. She was lying beside a vehicle registered to Van Druten.

The artist was arrested the following morning and charged with murder at his first court appearance on January 21.

The bail hearing was set for Monday, 26 January, in Plettenberg Bay Magistrate’s Court, but when Van Druten’s attorney, Carl Jeppe, declined to represent him, the accused requested a state-appointed Legal Aid attorney. Due to this switch, Magistrate Zukiswa Hans postponed the hearing for two days to allow his new counsel time to prepare his defense.

The state had sought a district surgeon referral for observation, but withdrew it after the magistrate noted no prior court order existed. Prosecutors continue to oppose bail fiercely, citing the case’s severity.

Van Druten knew his alleged victim. The pair had recently begun a romantic relationship, and she had reportedly introduced him to her family earlier the same weekend.

Outside the court, protesters rallied against gender-based violence with placards reading words such as ‘No Bail, Only Jail,’ and ‘Justice for Alaska’ (Van Heerden’s nickname).

With the fight against crimes perpetrated on women and children supposedly a top priority in South Africa, many are asking why Van Druten had not been arrested previously, with at least five protection orders against him by local women for years of alleged harassment, intimidation, threats, and physical violence, which left a number of women traumatised.

Two of these court orders resulted from his assault of three ladies in Sedgefield after they had moved into a house on The Island, directly opposite Van Druten, in January 2023.

They agreed to tell us their story on condition of anonymity.

“He (Van Druten) had only lived there a few weeks when he went away for five days, leaving his dogs without food or water,” one of the ladies told us, “After we were alerted by their incessant barking, we managed to organise their feeding, but we did report him to Sedgefield Animal Matters.”

Little did the women know that this would be a catalyst for the escalation of crazed behaviour, with Van Druten verbally abusing them over the fence at every opportunity. On the evening of 22 November things took a turn for the worse. He arrived at their gate and began shouting abuse. When one of the ladies went out to ask him to stop, he violently shoved the gate into her chest. She slapped him in retaliation and suddenly he was all over her – punching her in the face, grabbing her hair, throwing her to the pavement, and then kicking her whilst she lay helpless. When her friend attempted to come to her rescue, she too was manhandled to the ground, causing a bad break to her hand which later required surgery.

SAPS were called, but when a lone officer arrived, Van Druten had already retreated into his own home, where his dogs made it difficult for the uniformed man to gain access.

Though a case was opened, the intimidation continued into January 2024. On one occasion Van Druten obstructed their driveway, standing in front of their vehicle as they tried to leave, and ‘staring them down’. It was only intervention from members of Sedgefield COP and, eventually, SAPS Knysna’s tactical team that allowed the traumatised women to exit their car and head back into the house.. He was arrested by the Tactical Team and the women were granted protection orders against him the next day in Knysna.

When his case got to court, one of the victims was informed that the docket containing much of the evidence against Van Druten had been misplaced. She told them she would not continue in court until it was located.
In July last year she was once again contacted by the state prosecution, stating they were ready for his trial, but at that stage she only wanted to move on with her life. “That chapter had already left me totally traumatised,” she explained, “By then we had relocated, and I just couldn’t face looking at him across the court room. So I said no!”

Van Druten had also meanwhile relocated from Sedgefield – It is believed that the barrage of complaints raised by residents living around him on The Island resulted in his eventual move to Plettenberg Bay.

The current murder case returns to the Magistrates Court tomorrow (Thursday, 29 January) for Van Druten’s formal bail hearing, with both sides preparing amid heightened scrutiny. Legal opinion is that Magistrate Hans – who is known to be tough on crimes of a violent nature – will more than likely turn down requests for bail if compelling evidence to the contrary is not presented.