Stalin Fasser murder: Tow truck driver accused of killing father of three appears in court

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Stalin Fasser died after he was allegedly assaulted by a tow truck driver. (Supplied)

The tow truck driver accused of murdering Stalin Fasser, a father of three, made his first appearance in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on Thursday. 

Fasser was allegedly killed during a dispute with a FirstHelp tow truck employee on 12 May.

FirstHelp is a subsidiary of Help24 Holdings, which specialises in "personalised, professional security services".

Hendrik Christopher Joubert, 39, faces charges of murder and malicious damage to property. 

READ | From celebration to mourning: Dispute with tow truck driver leads to fatal assault

Joubert, who moved with visible discomfort, relied heavily on crutches for support when coming up from the holding cells.

News24 previously reported that, hours leading up to his death, Fasser had spent the day with his family, enjoying the company of friends and relatives.

The day took a dark turn when he and his partner, Faranaaz Davids, went to a local supermarket to buy a cake to celebrate Mother's Day with his mom.

Fasser allegedly got into an argument with Joubert outside the supermarket, after the latter reportedly made sexual comments about Davids.

It led to Joubert allegedly assaulting Fasser at several locations, including at the Sophiatown police station. 

The case was postponed to 31 May for a bail application.

Fasser's brother, Elton, told News24 that attending proceedings on Thursday had saddened his family. 

"We relived the events of that dreadful day, and the pain felt as raw as ever. We also had to face the smug look on the perpetrator's face, a man who did not show any sign of remorse.

"This is going to be a long, emotional journey for us, where we will have to relive Stalin's death over and over again," he said.

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