Denver Isaacs
23 September 2008
The resumption of the Kareeboomvloer farm massacre trial was delayed by a day yesterday due to defence lawyer Titus Mbaeva's involvement in a minor car accident over the weekend.
Mbaeva, who represents multiple murder suspect Gavin Beukes (27), explained to Judge President Petrus Damaseb that he would receive medical treatment for an arm injury this morning.
Beukes, his younger brother Sylvester Beukes (23), Rehoboth resident Stoney Neidel (31), and the 30-year-old son of the deceased farm owners, Justus Christiaan ('Shorty') Erasmus, together face 15 charges stemming from the murder of eight people on the farm between March 4 and 5 2005.
The massacre victims were farm owners Justus and Elzabé Erasmus, farm foreman Sonnybooi Swartbooi (35), his pregnant wife, Hilma Engelbrecht (32), the couple's daughters, Christina Engelbrecht (6) and Regina Gertze (4), Swartbooi's brother, Settie Swartbooi (50), and a nephew of Engelbrecht, Deon Gertze (18).
The trial, which started in March last year, was postponed after the closing of the State's case in July this year.
The defence's case is expected to get underway today.
During yesterday's proceedings, Neidel indicated that he would not testify in his own defence, and that he would also not call any witnesses. His case was therefore considered closed.
Gavin Beukes indicated that he would wait until after the testimony of his brother Sylvester before deciding whether to testify in his own defence.
Neidel and Erasmus failed in their bids to be acquitted on the charges against them following the closure of the State's case two months ago.
The prosecution is charging that the farm killings were executed by the Beukes brothers after they were allegedly contracted to do so by Erasmus.
Neidel was proved to be the first person the brothers called after they left the farm following the murders, and the bulk of the goods stolen from Kareeboomvloer were found at Neidel's home in Rehoboth and at the farm Areb, west of Rehoboth, where Neidel was farming.
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