Blinded man tells of acid attack
2003-01-08 21:41
Port Elizabeth - A once successful businessman who is dependent on a state pension after losing his eyes in an acid attack, on Wednesday told the court about his stormy relationship with the man who might have ordered the attack.
Pieter Huisamen (36), supported by a friend who held his cane, regularly had to wipe his empty eye sockets with a handkerchief during the proceedings.
He told the court that his relationship with Gerrit Jacobs was tempestuous at times because Jacobs was very possessive and jealous.
The relationship, which lasted ten years, finally ended in December 2001. For the following two months threatening text messages were sent between Huisamen and Jacobs's cellphones.
Defence lawyer Francois van der Merwe read some of the messages Jacobs received from Huisamen. One said: "In life you win some and you lose some. You barely won this one. The next is mine and then I don't want to be in your shoes."
Jacobs, who is standing trial for attempted murder and incitement to murder along with Christiaan Britz and Norman Erasmus (18) of Uitenhage, was apparently devastated by the breakdown of the relationship and consulted a sangoma.
Van der Merwe said Jacobs wanted the sangoma to help him repair the relationship. In a letter Jacobs wrote to the sangoma, which was also read in court, he asked that "Pieter no longer sleeps with other people, that he has sex with me again and that he doesn't go out with other people".
The sangoma, only known as Osman, told police Jacobs had mentioned that he would like to see Huisamen dead. On April 11 last year, this nearly happened when Huisamen answered the doorbell.
When Huisamen opened the door, a young man walked up to him, poured acid over him and ran away. The skin and tissue on his face and arms were burnt away and his contact lenses melted into his eyes. Both eyes had to be removed. He also lost his tiling business.
Huisamen told court that the attack had shattered his life. "I don't miss seeing the sun rise and set, but I miss seeing the sea. My life is hell."
The case continues.