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Doors closed in Stacie trial
19/02/2008 14:04 - (SA)
Cape Town - The Annestacia murder trial, involving accused Richard Engelbrecht, proceeded behind closed doors on Tuesday as the prosecutor presented the testimony of a pathologist who performed the post-mortem on the slain girl.
Prosecutor Mornay Julius was also to present the testimony of a six-year-old girl, who may not be named, who was allegedly raped by Engelbrecht at the age of three - two years prior to the murder of Annestacia, aged 11 at the time of her death.
The girl's evidence will also be presented in-camera.
No reasons were given for the exclusion of the media during the pathologist's testimony.
The pathologist's evidence followed that of Annestacia's mother who on Monday told the court how Engelbrecht had repeatedly told her he had a surprise for her, even when she questioned him about the fact that he kept locking himself into the house each time that she visited a neighbour on the day that Annestacia was murdered.
The court heard the testimony of a police officer who took photographs of Engelbrecht's shoe prints, found inside the ceiling where he had hidden Annestacia's body.
Engelbrecht initially pleaded guilty to raping and murdering Annestacia but acting Judge Richard Brusser entered a plea of not guilty after Engelbrecht claimed to have non-pathological criminal incapacity due to the use of the drug "tik" during the rape and murder.
However, he pleaded not guilty to raping the three-year-old, and said he knew nothing about it.
At the time of the rape, he was married to the three-year-old girl's mother.
The case continues.
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