'Cocky' teens on R2 000 bail

2003-08-23 08:51

Sonja Carstens

Johannesburg - "Are you talking to me?" Christoff Becker, 18, son of Dr Christo Becker, principal of Waterkloof High School, asked the magistrate before whom he appeared on a murder charge on Friday.

With his hair in the latest style and wearing bellbottom jeans, Becker, a pupil at Garsfontein High School, stood smiling in the dock with his friends, Gert Matthys van Schalkwyk, 18, and Frederik Willem du Preez, 18, both from Waterkloof High School.

Van Schalkwyk was nervous after a flight to Cape Town had to be postponed when the State threatened to oppose the boys' bail application.

He addressed magistrate Estelle van Biljon as "tannie" (auntie) in Pretoria regional court.

Prosecutor George Pieterse also had to ask Van Schalkwyk's mother four times not to talk on her cellphone in the court.

"She simply ignores me," Pieterse complained to bystanders. Minutes later, he refused to continue with court proceedings after Becker sen took a "threatening stance" with him.

Attempts made to buy docket

Van Schalkwyk plays hooker for Waterkloof's first rugby team that will be playing against Paarl Gymnasium in the semi-final of the Media24 trophy on Saturday.

The three teenagers were arrested in Garsfontein police station on Friday morning on charges of murder and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm. The case relates to an alleged attack in December 2001.

They were kept in Pretoria magistrate's court's holding cells for more than an hour, after the State initially wanted to oppose their bail application.

The State wanted to oppose bail after attempts were made to steal and then to buy the police docket on Thursday.

Pieterse said some of the four state witnesses had been threatened with violence.

Oeloff de Meyer, the boys' legal representative, said they were not a flight risk and would not interfere with witnesses.

The State will not have to apply for the extradition of the boys' 17-year-old friend who had emigrated to America earlier. The boy will return voluntary to attend the trial.

The boys left the court smiling after they were granted bail of R2 000.

"Hit them," Becker jun shouted when photographers took pictures of him and Van Schalkwyk outside court.

- Beeld