The bail of lion-murder accused Mark Scott-Crossley’s was revoked in the Phalaborwa Circuit Court on Thursday after he was accused of intimidating a witness.
Judge George Maluleke ruled that witness Forget Tsako Ndlovu had been telling the truth when he accused Scott-Crossley of grabbing his T-shirt and muttering something inaudible to him as he left the court at the close of proceedings on Tuesday.
Also credible was the evidence of crowd-control police officer Inspector Patrick Mangolele, who watched Scott-Crossley head directly for Ndlovu, corroborating what happened next.
Earlier on Thursday, state prosecutor Ivy Tsenga told the court the fact that Scott-Crossley (37) should ”bump” into none other than the witness testifying against him was an ”amazing coincidence”.
She said the versions of Ndlovu and Mangolele were credible — and not Scott-Crossley’s.
The two men testified that Scott-Crossley grabbed hold of Ndlovu’s T-shirt and said something to him — neither heard what was said.
Ndlovu claimed Scott-Crossley then jabbed him with his forefinger.
Mangolele said he only saw him wagging his finger at Ndlovu.
Scott-Crossley’s counsel, Johan Engelbrecht, SC, asked the court to find this version false and instead find in favour of his client’s submission that he bumped into Ndlovu in the crowd trying to leave the court, turned, raised his hand and touched him in a gesture of apology, and said he was sorry.
Scott-Crossley had been granted bail of R250 000 on December 28 after spending the better part of a year behind bars, following several unsuccessful applications for bail.
For much of that time, he was held in the Nelspruit police-station cells, where he was moved from Nelspruit prison after eight masked men allegedly robbed and assaulted him in a communal cell, amid suggestions that the murder was racially motivated.
He is on trial for allegedly killing a former employee, Nelson Chisale (43), by feeding him to lions on January 31 2004.
Scott-Crossley and his co-accused — Richard ”Doctor” Mathebula (41) and Simon Mathebula (43), not related — have all pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder. — Sapa