Four youths appeared in the Grahamstown High Court on Wednesday on charges of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
They are alleged to have killed their victim by repeatedly stabbing him, and dropping a 50kg rock on his head.
Appearing before Judge Torquil Paterson and two assessors were: Tembinkosi Golotile (18) Michael Soldaat (21) Zolani Klaas (18) and Khanyiso Damana (18), all of whom live in Kwanobuhle, Uitenhage.
The four have pleaded not guilty to the murder and robbery of Lindile September (34) of Kwanobuhle, on September 8 2006, near the R336 road at Addo.
The badly battered body of September was found by police the next day on the side of the road.
Post-mortem findings indicated that ”he died as a result of a head injury caused by blunt force trauma, as well as multiple stab wounds to his right shoulder, the back of his neck and upper back.
Crime scene photographs showed the massive 50kg rock lying next to September’s head.
In the courtroom, the blood-spattered rock was placed on the evidence table, along with a 30cm knife and the victim’s cellphone.
The rock was so heavy, two police orderlies carried it into the court in a crate.
The state alleges that September was murdered by the four accused after giving them a lift in his friend’s car, which he was driving without permission.
Mvuseselo Mossie, an Old Mutual financial adviser and the car’s owner, told the court he had asked September to wash the car for him at about 8pm on September 8.
He said his car, a VW Citi Golf, was parked in the street outside his house in Kwanobuhle, and he had left the keys in the car.
”I asked the deceased — who I have known for a very long time — to garage the car when he had finished and give the keys to my young son. I was very tired and went to bed early that night.”
Mossie said when he looked in the garage the next morning the car was not there. He said he reported the theft to the police after he was unable to establish the whereabouts of either September, or his car.
”On Saturday afternoon I received a call from Addo police who asked me to bring the car’s documentation to the station. I found my car there and it had been badly damaged. It cost my insurance company R32 000 to fix it.”
He said he had seen the four accused at the station. They had been arrested earlier while driving the stolen car.
Mossie said he saw September’s sunglasses in the car and there was grass and bloodstains in the boot.
The trial continues. – Sapa