Film-industry worker Ronald Charles Grimsley, on trial for the murder of an 18-year-old woman, told the Johannesburg High Court on Friday he is not a violent person.
Grimsley explained his version of events before and after the death of Tanya Kelly Flowerday (18) after his defence counsel, Charles Thompson, was unsuccessful in his application to the court for his discharge.
Grimsley said he never had to force anyone to do what he wanted to do nor had he ever had a problem with women not being attracted to him.
”I’ve had a lot of girlfriends and I’ve never lifted a hand to any of them.”
Grimsley (25), from Fontainebleau, has admitted to having come around after a blackout to find his hands around the throat of Flowerday, who was not breathing.
Flowerday’s body was found abandoned in Darrenwood, north of Johannesburg, when a shopper saw her hand protruding from under a large stone on June 14 last year.
Grimsley told the court he had been released from a drug rehabilitation centre not long before the incident.
Grimsley testified that on the night of Friday June 13, Flowerday phoned him thrice while he was at Sunrise Pizzeria in the Randburg area, using drugs, drinking and playing pool with friends.
”I was enjoying myself where I was, so I kept putting her off.”
After she phoned for the fourth time, Grimsley said he decided to fetch Flowerday — whom he had known for about two days — from Julian’s Bistro, which was nearby.
They returned to Grimsley’s family home so he could eat, and started kissing in the kitchen.
”She pulled away from me and said we can’t continue like this” and asked to be taken home, Grimsley said.
Cross-examined by the prosecutor, Advocate Joanie Spies, Grimsley admitted that at that stage he had already expected that they would have sex that night.
”I went along the back-end roads because of the state I was in. I could still drive, but I was well over the limit. I was a little more than tipsy.”
The court heard that while driving along Durham Road, Darrenwood, Grimsley stopped the car for another ”heroin-mix cigarette” and because ”I did not know why Tanya did not want to be with me”.
”I’ve never had a problem with ladies in my life. I wanted to know why she was not attracted to me.”
Regarding the cigarette he was making, Grimsley testified ”she asked me what it was and I told her it was heroin”.
He said an argument ensued and ”she tried to grab it from me. I struggled to get the heroin back from her. I lost control. I just got so angry over the heroin and that she didn’t want to be with me.
”The last thing I remember — she was shouting at me about drugs.”
Grimsley said he blacked out and ”when I started coming right I found I had my hands round her throat, my fingers were clenched. I was unbuttoned and my pants were down around my legs.”
Flowerday was in a state of partial undress and dead.
Grimsley told the court he had no recollection of having sex or anal intercourse with Flowerday.
He dressed her and ”ran round the car and dragged her up the embankment to where the body was found that afternoon”.
”I just wanted to get away from it. I couldn’t believe what I had done.”
Grimsley told the court ”maybe I should have gone to the police, but I didn’t”.
Her said he threw her handbag and jacket out of the car window and tried to sell her cellphone.
Spies submitted that at the time of the crime Grimsley knew what he was doing.
The trial continues before Judge Fritz van Oosten.
On Thursday, Spies closed the state’s case after a week of testimony from witnesses in whom Grimsley had confided, saying that while high on heroin, dagga and alcohol, he had ”lost it” after Flowerday had refused him sex because she had a boyfriend.
The court heard medical evidence that her body had been covered in bruises, scratches, abrasions and contusions.
Grimsley pleaded not guilty to murder, rape, indecent assault and robbery. — Sapa