The defence counsel for four young men accused of killing a black man and assaulting another in 2001 dismissed a state witness’s version as ”physically impossible” on Tuesday.
Advocate Jaap Cilliers criticised the evidence of witness Heinrich von Landsberg and pointed out inconsistencies arising from cellphone records obtained for the day in question.
Three calls were registered during the early-morning hours of December 2 2001 on the cellphone of accused Christoff Becker — the first at 2.09am, the second at 2.40am and the third at 2.57am.
Records of the first two calls placed Becker in Hillcrest, Hatfield, and the third in Moreleta Park, Cilliers said.
This brought into question Von Landsberg’s evidence about the time span between the two crimes.
Von Landsberg testified that he, Becker, and the other accused — Frikkie du Preez, Gert van Schalkwyk and Reinach Tiedt — attended a party on a Saturday night, after which they went to a club in Hatfield.
They left the club in Becker’s father’s BMW and a Toyota Tazz.
Du Preez, who was in the Tazz, allegedly told the driver to stop the car when he ”saw a ‘kaffir’ next to the road” in Constantia Park, Von Landsberg said.
He and Du Preez got out, and Du Preez allegedly hit the man in the face with his fist. They drove off and met up with the BMW. All returned to the scene and the victim started running.
Van Schalkwyk allegedly tackled the man, after which Tiedt allegedly kicked him and stepped on his head. The group then left.
Not long afterwards, Becker allegedly phoned Von Landsberg to tell him about a group of burglars in a park in Moreleta Park.
By the time the occupants of the Tazz arrived, the BMW was already there, its boot open. Von Landsberg said he saw Becker, who had put carving knives in the boot of the BMW the previous night, making stabbing movements in the direction of a black man’s back.
Van Schalkwyk allegedly did the same.
When the man fell, Von Landsberg and the four accused allegedly kicked him before fleeing.
Cilliers said it was impossible, given a time span of less than 17 minutes between the second and third calls, for Becker to get from Hillcrest to Moreleta Park with time in between to stop for an assault.
The third call was allegedly the one made to the occupants of the Tazz to inform them of the ”burglars” in the park.
Cilliers also questioned Von Landsberg’s evidence about the date of the offences. He had said they happened in November.
But police said the body was found on December 3. The closest weekend to that date was December 1 and 2, Cilliers said.
The four accused were 16 at the time of the alleged crimes.
Three of them were arrested last August, and Tiedt last month.
Becker is the son of Hoërskool Waterkloof principal Dr Christo Becker. All wrote matric at the school last year, except for Becker who was at Hoërskool Garsfontein.
They have pleaded not guilty and are out on R2 000 bail each. — Sapa