Teazers former co-owner Michael Jackson received psychiatric therapy after a street child was allegedly murdered outside the nightclub’s Cape Town premises, the Cape High Court heard on Wednesday.
Jackson (45) is accused of murdering Xolani Zodwana, who was shot dead between 5am and 6am on a Saturday in May 2004.
He allegedly serious assaulted another street child by pointing a firearm at him and is accused of handling a firearm while under the influence of liquor.
”I was in the [throes] of divorce at the time, and because of all the stress and trauma I was going through, including the street-child incident, I needed help to calm down,” Jackson told the court under cross-examination.
Emphasising that he needed therapy for stress, not anger control, he said: ”Apart from the divorce, my car had been broken into and my firearm stolen from the cubby-hole, and there was now also the murder.”
Jackson has denied shooting anyone.
He testified that he had heard of a Special Assignment interview about the murder with his brother, Lolly, only after it took place. ”My brother is on TV so often. In any event, he’s got his life and I have mine,” he told the court.
Acting Judge Dumisani Zondi upheld an objection by the defence team to the prosecution’s reading of the comments Jackson’s brother made on the television programme.
Closing argument was expected on Wednesday afternoon. — Sapa