Man kicked like ball
2004-07-05 21:12
Pretoria - The son of the principal of Hoërskool Waterkloof and three of his friends on Monday pleaded not guilty in Pretoria regional court to a charge of murder and one of assault.
Christoff Becker, son of Dr Christo Becker, Frikkie du Preez, Gert van Schalkwyk and Reinach Tiedt are accused of assaulting a man in Constantia Park and killing another in Moreletta Park in 2001.
All wrote matric last year at the Hoërskool Waterkloof, except for Becker, who was at Hoërskool Garsfontein.
They were aged 16 at time of the alleged crimes, but three of them were arrested only in August last year. Tiedt was arrested in June this year, after returning from America.
The trial started after a State witness, Heinrich von Landsberg, was warned that he would not receive indemnity from prosecution if his evidence was not honest and truthful.
The 19-year-old witness said they were all at a party on a Saturday night in November 2001.
14-year-old was driving one of the cars
After the party, they went to a club in Hatfield, from where they left in Becker's father's BMW and a Tazz which Von Landsberg's 14-year-old cousin, Christo Bouwer, was driving.
"As we drove, Frikkie told Christo to stop.
"He said he saw a 'kaffir' next to the road. We stopped and Frikkie got out.
"He then asked me to walk with him. He asked the black man where Blood Street was, then looked around and hit the man in the face with his fist," Von Landsberg said.
They drove off and met up with the BMW. After hearing about this incident, everyone allegedly returned to where the man was.
Von Landsberg said that when they arrived, the man started running. Van Schalkwyk followed and tackled him.
Tiedt then allegedly kicked the man and stepped on his head. The boys then left.
However, not long afterwards, Becker allegedly phoned Von Landsberg, saying there were burglars in a certain park.
Made a stabbing movement
When the people in the Tazz arrived there, they saw the BMW. Its boot was open. Von Landsberg testified that Becker had put carving knives in the boot the previous night.
"We saw Christoff and Gert. There was a black man with them. Christoff made a stabbing movement in the direction of the man's back.
"Gert made a similar movement to the man's lower body. I could not see what was in their hands," the witness said.
When the man fell, the boys, including the witness, allegedly kicked him.
Du Preez allegedly asked Von Landsberg if he knew Naas Botha. When the witness asked "why", Du Preez apparently ran and kicked the man in his face.
They ran back to the vehicles, where Becker and Van Schalkwyk allegedly had a quarrel about Becker throwing the knives away.
Von Landsberg said this was when he heard his friends had knives.
Apparently Tiedt also took a hammer from the car before he ran into the park with the others.
Found hammer, knives were missing
That same night they went back to look for the knives and the hammer. They found the man still on the ground, moaning and asking for a doctor.
Von Landsberg said he smelt of blood.
"Frikkie again asked me if I knew Naas Botha and again kicked the man in the face," Von Landsberg said.
They only found the hammer, allegedly with blood on it, but the knives were missing.
The following day Becker allegedly offered Von Landsberg's younger brother R250 for every knife he found.
The boy did not find any knives, but told the witness that he saw the man and thought he was dead.
During cross-examination by advocate Jaap Cilliers, Von Landsberg admitted that they had drunk that night and that his memory might have been affected by that. He also admitted that he was scared when he ran into the park.
According to him, Dr Becker had called everyone involved to his home at a later stage, but all just agreed to say as little as possible about the incidents.
"Dr Becker did not try to influence us," Von Landsberg said.
The trial continues on Tuesday and bail of the accused, of R2 000 each, was extended.
- SAPA