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Face the consequences - mom
30/09/2005 17:38 - (SA)
Pretoria - A Kameeldrif mother on Friday denied bribing her son's co-accused, because she believed if her son was guilty, he had to face the consequences.
"But I know my son and I believe with all my heart he is innocent," Esme Johnston told Pretoria High Court acting judge Joshua Dolamo.
He son Johan, 22, and his friend Willie Strauss are facing a charge of murder and attempted murder following the death of city nursing sister Laetitia Brown and the assault on her friend, Deon Engelbrecht.
He was so severely beaten that he suffered brain damage.
Brown and Engelbrecht gave the accused a lift from a Wonderboom nightclub on March 13 2003.
Strauss attacked the couple after he and Engelbrecht argued over drugs.
Strauss claimed that Johnston also partook in the assaults, but Johnston denied this. Needed money for drugs
A letter, in which Strauss took the blame on himself, was handed to court, but Strauss claimed Johnston's family bribed him into writing the letter.
He claimed he urgently needed money while awaiting trial in jail to pay his cellmates for dagga he had received from them.
Strauss said he was addicted to narcotics and that he was using drugs even while in jail.
He was eventually moved to C-Max Prison, following a court order, so that he could be drug-free during his trial.
The judge at the time commented that he hoped Strauss would not get his hands on narcotics while in C-Max. 'Wrong friends'
Johnston's parents - Esme and Deon - both testified that their son "was a good boy", but that he associated himself with the wrong friends and that he sometimes abused alcohol.
Deon Johnston said his son promised him that he would get his life in order.
Johan Johnston also told his parents he was innocent.
He did not tell anyone about the incident because he was terrified of his friend, who "became a monster" while relentlessly hitting the two victims, Johnston earlier testified.
The trial was postponed to December 1.
- SAPA
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