After he allegedly shot and killed his three children, former senior police officer Marius van der Westhuizen told his commanding officer what he had done, but would not say where he had been hiding, the Cape High Court heard on Tuesday.
Senior Superintendent James Kiewitt, commissioner at the Claremont police station, told the court he was off duty and in a café, when he received a call from Van der Westhuizen at about 10pm in July 2006.
”I tried to find out where he was, but he would not say.”
Van der Westhuizen is on trial on three charges of murder.
Said Kiewitt: ”He said I must not be angry with him, but that he had just shot his three children dead. The news was a huge shock to me, and I said he must not make jokes like that. He then repeated what he had said.”
Kiewitt said he asked Van der Westhuizen about his wife, Charlotte. He said he had not harmed her because he loved her too much.
Van der Westhuizen gave Kiewitt his home address. Kiewitt rushed to the house and later phoned Van der Westhuizen to ask where he was. He said he was not at home and that he was not going to jail.
On arrival at the home, Kiewitt met two police inspectors based with him at the Claremont police station, where Van der Westhuizen had also been stationed.
One of the inspectors was very emotional and unable to talk, he said.
Kiewitt said he again made contact with Van der Westhuizen.
”And I kept begging him not to take his own life, and not to be irresponsible.”
He gave Van der Westhuizen an undertaking to stand by him if he surrendered. Kiewitt said he later entered the house, where he saw the three children lying dead on their beds.
In the house, he also met the policeman’s wife.
”She was very strong emotionally,” he said.
The case continues on Wednesday. – Sapa