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Waterkloof: Teen 'showing off'
16/01/2007 16:11 - (SA)
Pretoria - Reinach Tiedt was only 15 years old when the "Waterkloof 4" four killed an unknown man and assaulted another, the regional court here was told.
Yvette van Schalkwyk, his court-appointed probation officer, said on Tuesday: "Because he was younger, he was trying to show off to the older boys."
"He thought the man they assaulted was a thief and stole something. They acted as heroes when they cornered him in the park," said Van Schalkwyk.
She said Tiedt had told her they should not have assaulted the man, but rather phoned the police.
Recommended correctional supervision
Like his three co-accused - Christoff Becker, Frikkie du Preez and Gert van Schalkwyk (no relation to Yvette) - Tiedt denied assaulting one of the men, and claimed that the man who was killed was not the man they did assault.
Van Schalkwyk said a jail term would not be beneficial to Tiedt nor serve the community's interest. She recommended correctional supervision.
Earlier, Gert van Schalkwyk's probation officer, René Pretorius, told the court that his dreams of becoming a professional rugby player had been shattered by the case.
His contract with the Pumas Rugby Union, where he was playing after moving from the Lions, was cancelled because of the case
"Since he was young, he had dreamt of playing professional rugby and one day even wearing the green and gold," she told the court.
Van Schalkwyk is now studying law at Unisa.
Final arguments expected
She recommended a short prison term for Van Schalkwyk with some of it served under correctional supervision.
On Monday, Becker and Du Preez's lawyers made similar recommendations to the court, saying jail terms were required, but not extended ones.
The case was postponed to Friday when it is expected the four's legal teams and the State will deliver their final arguments.
- SAPA
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