Leigh 'not shot at scene'

2005-07-27 12:02

Johannesburg - Ballistic expert Inspector Jean Nieuwenhuys testified at the Donovan Moodley trial on Wednesday morning that murdered student Leigh Matthews was not shot at the scene where the body was found.

Nieuwenhuys said he would have expected the empty cartridges to be underneath the body or further to the right.

He also positively identified the black and silver handgun known on the street as a "dum dum" as the one used to kill Leigh Matthews.

The expert also demonstrated how the gun would have been held.

In cross-examination defence advocate Johan Pretorius asked whether Nieuwenhuys could say beyond doubt that Matthews was not shot at the scene.

In response he said, while he could not, it was his opinion that she was murdered elsewhere. Nieuwenhuys said he had worked on over 3000 cases.

Pretorius also asked whether the angle of the gun and the long grass could have affected where the empty shell cases landed.

Moodley was on Monday found guilty of murder, kidnapping and extortion.

Earlier Sharon Matthews - mother of murdered student Leigh - arrived at the Johannesburg High Court on Wednesday saying she was "absolutely fine".

"I don't let anything terrify me anymore," she said in response to some of the graphic testimony - including details of a post-mortem carried out on her daughter given in court on Tuesday.

Mrs Matthews arrived at court with daughter Karen, who had been too upset to attend proceedings on Tuesday. Mrs Matthews insisted: "We are absolutely fine."

"Last night we had a quiet night and watched The Amazing Race (a television reality programme) which I love."

Moodley's father, Stephen, is expected to testify in mitigation. "It will be very interesting to hear what he has to say," Mrs Matthews said.

Moodley arrived for his third day in court on Wednesday in the usual high speed police convoy just after 07:00.

He was wearing a black pin-stripe suit.

- SAPA