JUST IN: How baby Mogamat Imaad Sharmar was found

In a dramatic testimony during the bail application of accused baby snatcher Sameemah Jacobs in the Bellville Magistrate's Court on Thursday, a veteran police officer gave a blow-by-blow account of how they found baby Mogamat Imaad Sharmar.

The 37-year-old Jacobs stepped into the dock dressed in a white and brown jacket and donned a pardah and scarf.

State prosecutor Salaahuddeen Simon asked whether the accused's face could be she shown, saying that during the first appearance a week ago he thought she was sick.

Jacobs's Legal Aid lawyer, Asongewa Mafuya, said his client wore the pardah due to religious reasons.

Sergeant Dawid Fortuin told the court that he had 22 years of service under his belt.

In the blow-by-blow account and armed with the case docket, Fortuin said the case started as far as February when a woman named "Sameemah" had befriended Imaad's mother, Imaan Sharmar at the clinic.

Fortuin said the woman named Sameemah had bought Sharmar food and they had even visited a local beach together and exchanged numbers. 

He said Sameemah had accompanied Sharmar to hospital on the date of delivery on June 19.

He detailed that in May, a woman who identified herself as "Chevon" had visited the mother's home and stated that she worked for the "Zoey Project" and that they helped single mothers.

He said that a day prior to the kidnapping, Chevon contacted her and said she would receive R500 in cash and a baby packet containing clothing on June 28 when they attended a workshop in Bellville.

The next day at 11am, Chevon arrived at her home with a white Suzuki and when she climbed into the vehicle she saw Sameemah sitting at the back.

The driver's name was Allan.

"Chevon had a birthmark on her face and a beauty spot on her cheek," he said.

He said when the car arrived in Bellville, Chevon said a work vehicle would fetch her.

"On the way to Bellville the complainant drank Oros, which was given to her, and when she arrived at the mall she said she is feeling dizzy and light headed and she was given Hungry Lion.

"She had to use the bathroom as she had vomited in a bin.

"She gave the baby bag and the baby to Chevon.

"Five minutes later when she came out, Chevon was gone with the baby."

Fortuin said the mother started to search for the woman and was shown CCTV footage, which showed Chevon leaving the mall.

He said the investigation then continued and on Monday, June 30, when he joined the team, they received vital information from a missing persons unit, that a resident had provided.

"This informer said that a woman in her road named Sameemah had asked her daughter for her urine because she was pregnant and needed it for a project," he said.

He added that they had earlier followed-up on a lead, which was negative.

He also said that records of the Uber trip showed two addresses, that of one in Blombos Street, Lentegeur, and the baby's home in Strandfontein.

Hanging on the sergeant's every word, Simon asked what the team did next.

Fortuin said that at 6pm the missing persons unit called him again stating that the community of Tafelsig was riotous.

He said teams were mobilised including the Public Order Police and several others.

Upon entering the home, an elderly woman who identified herself as Jacobs's mother, led him to a back house or separate entrance where a young man was.

Fortuin added that he found a woman with an infant.

"She was breast feeding the baby and I could see that the baby was in distress."

He asked the woman to identify herself and had asked her whose baby it was to which she answered that the infant was hers.

He then asked her for proof.

He said he noted that the woman had hospital documents such as the road to health booklet and birth information, which had the date of June 28.

"I noticed that it looked like it had been scratched out in order to change the date and time," he said.

He explained that his colleague had asked to see the infant's face.

"The baby looked a lot like the one who was missing."

The case was adjourned for lunch.

Jacobs was supported by her family and Sharmar by her family inside court.

Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel.

Cape Argus