Bernard van Zyl, accused of the axe murder of his former gay partner, was found walking naked along a road at Plettenberg Bay, on his way to the police, the Cape High Court heard on Wednesday.
Plettenberg Bay resident Lynne Stanton told the court she and her husband were on their way home from a Christian fellowship meeting on a Tuesday night in June 2004 when they came upon Bernard van Zyl (28), his body covered in beach sand.
Van Zyl has pleaded not guilty to charges of the murder of estate agent Andre Weitz and aggravated armed robbery before Judge Daniel Dlodlo and two assessors.
Van Zyl, a BSc graduate, had a gay relationship with Weitz in Bloemfontein, but the relationship ended and Weitz moved to the Cape. He is alleged to have attacked Weitz with an axe at his home at The Poplars security complex in Pinelands. He then allegedly fled in Weitz’s car and ended up in Plettenberg Bay.
Stanton told the court: ”On our way home, my husband and myself were going along this very dark, lonely road, when we saw something on the right-hand side of the road.
”We did a U-turn and when our headlights shone on it, we could see a white man walking in the street — and he was unclothed.
”We drove up alongside him. I asked if we could help, and he said no. We asked where he was going; he said, ‘To the police.”’
Stanton said the man was adamant that he did not want help, but he accepted clothing from them. The couple then informed the police’s flying squad.
She added: ”We drove back to the man, and I asked him if he was in some kind of trouble. He said yes, and that he had stolen a car in Cape Town.
”He said we should not feel sorry for him, because he had done something bad. He explained that he’d been under drugs, and had lost control.”
Asked by prosecutor Quintin Appels what her impression of Van Zyl had been at the time, she replied: ”He was distressed, but he spoke perfectly coherently.”
Asked if she saw the man in court, she pointed to Van Zyl in the dock.
The hearing continues on Thursday. — Sapa