Neighbours Speak Out as ‘Driftwood Killer’ Prepares for Bail Bid in Nicky van Heerden Murder

The contrast is jarring. Bevan van Druten, 53, is the Garden Route driftwood artist known for transforming beach debris into serene sculptures. He is also the man the community now calls the “Driftwood Killer,” accused of the brutal murder of former detective Anneke “Nicky” van Heerden. As he prepares to apply for bail on Thursday, a portrait emerges not of a misunderstood artist, but of a man neighbours describe as volatile, threatening, and racially abusive.

Van Heerden’s battered body was found on a Plettenberg Bay sand dune on January 18, next to a vehicle linked to Van Druten. Police said her corpse was “riddled with injuries,” and neighbours reported hearing bloodcurdling screams. The State alleges she was struck from behind, her face forced into the sandgrains of which were found in her mouth.

A Relationship Shrouded in Confusion

The timeline of their relationship is contested. While Van Heerden told friends she had only recently met Van Druten before introducing him days before her death, other supporters outside court this week claimed they had known each other since September, when she house-sat for him. What is clear is that by the time of her death, their connection had turned fatal.

Abandoned by Counsel, Facing a Packed Gallery

Van Druten’s second court appearance on Monday revealed he had been abandoned by his high-profile choice of lawyer, Carl Jeppe, who declined to take the case. Dressed in yellow slippers and baggy turquoise trousers, Van Druten told the Plettenberg Bay Magistrate’s Court he would rely on a Legal Aid attorney. The matter was postponed to Thursday for a potential bail application, a hearing where Van Heerden’s 88-year-old father is expected to be present once more.

A History of Threats and Volatility

As the bail decision looms, past allegations against Van Druten are coming to light. Six women have come forward stating they obtained or attempted to obtain protection orders against him. One former neighbour, Zoe Davids, 41, shared a harrowing account of living next to him in Wilderness between 2016 and 2019.

“He was an extremely volatile person,” Davids said. She alleged he repeatedly threatened to shoot her and her partner over their dogs, once warning he would use a crossbow. In one bizarre incident, she claimed he built an unlit speed bump in the middle of their gravel road in the dead of night, leading to damaged vehicles. When confronted, Davids alleged he responded with racist insults about her foreign-born partner.

Another woman, Jax Dichabe, a friend of Van Heerden, remembered the victim as someone who encouraged her to visit the Garden Route, describing her as bringing light to those around her. “She is in a better place,” Dichabe said, grappling with the loss through her faith.

A Family’s Heartbreak and a Community’s Fear

Van Heerden’s brother-in-law, Hein Bruwer, simply stated the family was heartbroken. “She always brought light into our lives,” he said.

As Thursday’s hearing approaches, the central question for the court will be whether a man with such serious allegations in his recent past, now facing a murder charge with what the State suggests is a strong prima facie case, should be released back into the very community where multiple women say they feared him. For the family of Nicky van Heerden, and for the neighbours who still recall his rages, the wait for justice is just beginning.

{Source: IOL}

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