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Dying nurse made 'funny noises'
27/09/2005 22:43 - (SA)
Pretoria - A 22-year-old Kameeldrif man told Pretoria High Court on Tuesday how his co-accused bludgeoned a city nurse to death with a stick after she gave them a lift home from Jacqueline's Nightclub in Wonderboom.
Johan Johnston said the 23-year-old nurse, Laetitia Brown, made "funny noises" as she was dying on the ground.
"Those noises were too terrible to bear. It is not something one should hear," said 22-year-old Johnston.
He and Willie Strauss, 23, of Westonaria earlier pleaded not guilty to murdering Brown and to the attempted murder of her friend Deon Engelbrecht.
Engelbrecht was left for dead. He had severe brain damage as a result and he could not remember anything about the attack.
His face was also disfigured.
Strauss admitted to hitting Brown and Engelbrecht, but claimed he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol and could not be held accountable for his actions.
He said he was a drug addict who still used drugs in jail.
Was terrified of Strauss
The court ordered months ago that he be placed in C-Max Prison so he could not get hold of drugs.
Strauss implicated Johnston in the crimes, by saying that after he had hit the two, Johnston continued with the assault.
Johnston denied this and said he was terrified of Strauss, who apparently threatened to kill him if he told anybody about what had happened.
On Tuesday, Johnston testified that he went to the nightclub in March 2003, where he met Strauss, Brown and Engelbrecht.
He said Engelbrecht was well-known in the club and was also a drug dealer. During the course of the evening, he asked Engelbrecht for a lift home.
Johnston said Engelbrecht was thrown out of the club by a bouncer, who assaulted him. He and the others went to the parking lot to see what was happening.
Engelbrecht and Brown decided to leave and they gave Strauss and Johnston a lift.
"Deon and Willie were talking about making lines, which means they wanted to use cocaine," Johnston explained.
He said they were heading for Kameeldrif, where he stayed.
Brown said she was tired as she had to be on duty early the next morning.
They drove to Kameeldrif Primary School. "Willie told Deon to make lines, but Deon said Willie had to."
'Turned into a monster'
It appeared that neither had cocaine and the two argued. Johnston said Strauss walked away and Engelbrecht followed him.
Strauss suddenly attacked Engelbrecht with a stick.
"He just kept on hitting him with all his might and Deon fell to the ground.
"Laetitia asked what he was doing and he turned on her. He also hit her with all his strength... I never knew him like this. He turned into a monster...
"Laetitia made funny sounds, but he just kept on hitting her," said a sobbing Johnston.
The case in continuing.
- SAPA
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