Murder accused 'struck a blank'

2008-06-17 16:10

Pretoria - A Delmas man, who allegedly beat his wife to death with a spanner and slit her throat, told his father-in-law he had "struck a blank", the Pretoria High Court heard on Tuesday.

Christiaan Rheeders was testifying in the trial of his son-in-law, Ockert Danie "Ockie" Van den Berg, charged with murdering his wife Christa and attempting to kill his son Jacques, at their Sundra home in August 2005.

Van den Berg has denied guilt on all charges.

Rheeders told the court Van den Berg was to have picked him up for work that day, but phoned three times to say that he would be late.

He rushed to his daughter's house after receiving a call to tell him that she was dead. Police were already at the house, as well as Van den Berg's mother and father.

'He wanted to run'

The father told him Christa was lying dead in the bedroom, but refused to allow him to see her.

When Van den Berg arrived at the house around 19:00, he sat in the car with his head in his hands. Rheeders asked him what he had done.

Van den Berg replied: "Dad, I don't know. I struck a blank."

He also told Rheeders he "wanted to run".

Rheeders advised him not to, as the police would shoot him. He said Van den Berg's mother also asked him not to do it.

Van den Berg then climbed out of the car, put his hands up and said that he was guilty.

According to Rheeders, Van den Berg sounded "normal" during their conversations, although he was somewhat nervous at the scene.

Rheeders said he was not aware of any marital problems between the two, although Van den Berg had told him he suspected his wife was having an affair.

The court earlier ruled a statement Van den Berg had made to a magistrate was admissible as evidence against him, despite his claim that he had been coerced into making it.

In the statement, Van den Berg said he had bashed his wife with a spanner and slit her throat because he had imagined another person in bed with her.

The trial continues.

- SAPA