Woman begged before torching

2008-04-08 20:18

Cape Town - A terrified woman begged for her life minutes before being doused with petrol and set alight in a confrontation about a missing cellphone, the Cape High Court heard on Tuesday.

A witness to the torching, Manuel Swanepoel, told the court that Monique Martin seemed shocked when her boyfriend, Myron Daniels, sent a teenager to fetch petrol.

Before the court are Ashwin Hammers, 20, Myron Daniels, 28, Ashley Lategan, 24, and a youth who may not be named.

The killing happened at a house in the Strand near Cape Town where the four, as well as the woman, had smoked a mixture of tik and Mandrax.

The four have pleaded not guilty before Judge Patricia Goliath to a charge of murder.

Swanepoel told the court he was in the room when Martin was set alight, but he had not taken part with the others in the drug abuse.

He said Daniels and the woman had been in a sexual relationship at the time.

Questioned by Patrick Loots representing Hammers, Swanepoel said Hammers had done nothing to the woman and did not take part in the attack on her.

However when Loots told Swanepoel that Hammers did kick Martin, he replied: "Hammers kicked her hard in the ribs, but I don't think it would have killed her."

Swanepoel said Martin would not have been attacked at all had she said she had the missing cellphone and given it to Daniels.

The case continues.

- SAPA