Former police detective Roger Jones had illicit sex ”two or three times” with his lover, Pieternella Leonore Klip van As, the Somerset West Magistrate’s Court heard on Friday.
Jones and Klip van As are in custody for the murder on June 30 of her husband, Dutch businessman Gerrit Klip, and have jointly launched a bail application.
Jones told of his sexual relationship with Klip van As, during intensive cross-examination by prosecutor Ms Annalese Snyman.
Because he was a happily married man with a family, he had felt ”very bad” each time they had sex, and after the last time they decided to turn their sexual relationship into a friendship, he told the court.
The hearing is before Errol Poggenpoel, who dismissed an objection from defence counsel Peter Festus, that the questioning was too focused on the sexual relationship.
Jones told the court he had informed his wife about his friendship with Klip van As.
He told the court Klip van As had confided in him about her domestic problems, and he had tried to restore her self-confidence.
Soon after their recent arrival in South Africa, Mr Klip van As had started an affair and divorce proceedings were pending.
Mr Klip van As died after a violent struggle with Jones in the cellar of his estranged wife’s home.
Together, Jones and Mrs Klip van As then loaded the body into the husband’s car, and drove the car to Gordon’s Bay.
Jones told the court he could not remember whose decision it had been to remove the body from the cellar. He added: ”She was just as shocked as me about her husband’s death.”
He said the incident had affected him so badly that he was unable to get his thoughts together.
As a detective, he had seen many murder scenes, but to be involved himself was ”quite different”, he said.
He told the court he had intended going to the police about it, but had not done so.
He added: ”I realised it was a matter of time before the police found the body.”
He said he wanted to explain to the court exactly what happened, ”but each time I try it becomes a nightmare”.
He said he was unable to sleep at night, as he tried to think about what happened.
The hearing continues on Monday. – Sapa