No evidence on Griekwastad cameras
2013-03-19 18:19
Kimberley - Security cameras yielded no evidence of a
triple murder on a Griekwastad farm, the Northern Cape High Court heard on
Tuesday.
Farmer Joachim Scholtz testified that a camera put up
between the Steenkamp farm and Griekwastad was not active because it was being
moved.
A local farm organisation was at that stage in
discussions with Deon Steenkamp to find a place to install the camera near his
farm.
Steenkamp, 44, his wife Christel, 43, and daughter
Marthella, 14, were killed on their farm Naauwhoek on 6 April 2012.
Judge Frans Kgomo was hearing evidence in the trial of
the 16-year-old youth accused of having committed the murders.
Prosecutor Hannes Cloete submitted that the court would
still be informed about the cameras and where they were installed.
"Did you ask for [video] material recorded on the
night?"
Scholtz confirmed this, but said there was nothing useful
to the investigation.
The farmer was also asked about an incident involving the
boy, unrelated to the night of the murders.
Scholtz said he knew the Steenkamp family well. He and
Deon Steenkamp grew up together.
He had known Christel since her marriage to Deon, and had
known Marthella from birth.
Scholtz confirmed during cross examination that he and
three other people went to clean the house on Saturday, 7 April, the day after
the murders.
He said a blood-stained carpet, which was under
Marthella’s body, and Deon’s green Jeep jacket, were burnt because of the
amount of blood on them.
Scholtz said he checked with police investigators before
destroying the two items.
Cloete also called State witness Henriette Truter, the
manager of a restaurant across the street from the Griekwastad police station.
Truter testified she was drinking coffee on the veranda
around 18:00 on the night of the murders.
There was nobody in the restaurant when a white
double-cab bakkie stopped in front of the police station and a boy got out and
ran inside.
The boy shouted that there had been a shooting and that
police should come.
- SAPA
