Murder: Witness can't face pics

2003-06-11 16:43

Johannesburg - The last person to see murdered wife Ria Bouwer alive, apart from the murderer, took the witness stand in the Johannesburg High Court trial of the deceased's husband on Wednesday.

Shown a file of photographs of the murder scene the Bouwer's former domestic helper, Rose Mogothlane, raised her eyes to the ceiling and told Judge D Marais: "I'm afraid to look."

This was after advocate Riaan Kock enquired whether the clothing worn by the deceased at the time of her death was the same the witness saw her wearing on May 7, 1999, the day of her murder.

But Rose never looked at the photographs and the file was taken away before the court was any the wiser regarding the clothing.

On the day Ria Bouwer was strangled, according to the former helper's testimony, she first took a shower and was sitting on her bed writing when the witness concluded her duties for the day.

The murder is alleged to have occurred about 16:00 but the paramedics were only called in hours later after the murder scene had been tampered with.

Mariette Kruger, mother of the accused, Colin Bouwer, is expected to be called to the witness stand when the trial resumes on Thursday. She previously indicated she would refuse to testify against her son and she could go to jail for this.

When the trial started last week, Colin Bouwer denied the murder charge.

This week in evidence the court heard testimony from Kruger's friend Elsabe van Zeil and private investigator Fanie van der Westhuizen that Kruger told them in confidence that her son Colin had informed her he accidentally killed his wife during an argument.

- SAPA