Argument ahead of the sentencing of a Gqeberha man convicted of beating his wife’s young daughter to death had to be postponed on Tuesday when he opted to dismiss his Legal Aid SA appointed lawyer.
Robin Clarke is now due back in court on March 17, with the case postponed for him to appoint and brief a new lawyer after he indicated that he wished to hire a private legal representative.
He remains in custody after his bail was revoked following his conviction.
Clarke was found guilty in December 2025 of murdering Krisley Dirker, who was just 19 months old at the time.
Krisley was the daughter of his wife, Kristen, who was convicted on charges of child abuse and neglect.
In February, the high court heard that the probation officer’s report was not yet ready, and judge Vuyokazi Noncembu accordingly postponed the matter to Tuesday for that purpose.
Kristen, who is looking after the couple’s three minor children, is out on bail.
On December 9, the judge found Clarke guilty of murdering little Krisley, who died on October 17 2013 after prolonged and continuous blunt-force assaults.
Noncembu found that Kristen knew Clarke was assaulting her daughter but failed to protect her and instead sought to defend her husband.
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