Ekurhuleni metro police chief Robert McBride’s 2006 car accident could have been caused by an increase in his diabetes medication, the Pretoria Regional Court heard on Wednesday.
McBride’s counsel, Jimmy Howse, told the court that two days before his December 21 2006 accident, McBride had gone to see a doctor who allegedly doubled his type-two diabetes medication dose. This was done to lower McBride’s blood-sugar level.
The defence claimed that this could have been the reason for McBride’s accident along the R511, south-west of Pretoria.
This was in contradiction to state witness and former Ekurhuleni metro police officer Itumeleng Koko’s evidence that his boss had been drunk on the day he rolled his car.
In his second day of testimony, Koko said that it appeared to him as a ”law enforcer” that his boss was drunk. He said McBride had bloodshot eyes, was unsteady on his feet and sustained a cut to his head following the incident. He said it appeared that his boss had been drunk.
He told the court that prior to the accident he had seen his boss consume an entire bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label. He could not say whether McBride had also consumed a bottle of Jack Daniels whisky all by himself.
However, the defence pointed out that in his statement to the police, Koko had indicated that he had seen his boss drink two bottles of liquor.
On Wednesday, Koko could not confirm if McBride had indeed drunk two bottles unassisted.
Howse said that if his client had indeed been drunk, why was it not evident in any of the photos in the court’s possession? Howse pointed out that three of the photos showed Koko drinking.
Following the accident, Koko told the court that his boss had told him that he ”was fucked” and that the matter had to be kept under wraps otherwise the mayor could fire him.
State witness Patrick Johnston confirmed that his boss had been drinking on the day of the accident and that he was unsteady and his speech slurred.
”I don’t believe he was in a state to drive … he spun his wheels and left,” he told the court in Afrikaans.
He said that as he was about to arrive at the scene of the accident he received a call from Stanley Sagathevan, another state witness in the case, informing him of the accident. He said he remained at the accident scene where he took people’s statements while Koko drove McBride away.
He revealed how McBride had been a difficult person to work with, and who constantly swore at him. He pointed out that his boss had connections everywhere.
He said he came clean about the incident because he had grown tired of the constant threats McBride made.
He confirmed that he had made a prior statement about the accident.
He said that the first statement was false although he had signed it.
McBride has pleaded not guilty to defeating the ends of justice, fraud and driving under the influence of alcohol.
The hearing continues on Thursday. — Sapa