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Menlyn murder 'gang-related'
23/08/2005 09:55 - (SA)
Beeld
Pretoria - A youth accused of stabbing and killing Juan Olivier in a games arcade in the Menlyn Park shopping centre in Pretoria could have been "ordered" to commit the murder because he was the youngest member of a gang.
Captain Thomas Janse van Rensburg, investigating officer, testified during the 17-year-old's bail application hearing on Monday that the youth was probably not acting alone and that more arrests could follow.
Meanwhile, the Olivier family received threatening calls over the weekend in which they were told to drop the case.
Janse van Rensburg testified that he worked several gang-related cases in Eersterust, east of Pretoria.
"I believe the accused is one of the youngest of the group and was ordered to commit the murder," he said.
The boy from Eersterust was released on R500 bail. He indicated that he would be pleading not guilty.
Janse van Rensburg said the security video of the Friday night in question showed how the accused attacked Olivier as he as leaving the bathroom and tried to strangle him with a piece of clothing.
In the ensuing struggle, Olivier, 22, was stabbed in the chest with a "very sharp, home-made long knife of 6 inches long".
Janse van Rensburg testified that the video footage showed that there were other people with the youth.
"The accused came from among a group of people and attacked the deceased. The others then ran off."
Lucas Choma, state prosecutor, said the community would be "shocked and angry" if the accused was released on bail.
He said the community was shocked by the murder and the Galaxy World games arcade had lost a lot of business.
Reginald Ally, acting for the accused, said his client did not make the threatening calls to Olivier's family since he was in custody at the time the calls were made.
In her ruling, magistrate Ansie Scheepers said Olivier's parents were threatened while the accused was in custody.
"He did not have control over this. It is also important that he returns to school because a murder case could last for a long time."
It also came to light that the accused's parents are in the process of getting divorced and that the community of Eersterust raised funds to pay for his legal representation.
Bail was set at R500 on condition that the accused reports to the Eersterust police station twice a week, that he does not interfere with witnesses and that he does not apply for travel documents.
- Beeld
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