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20110303

Suspect ‘proud’ of killing farmer Johan Strydom

Suspect Jonathan Sekgone was also briefly under arrest for the attempted murder of farmer B J Nortje on 13 March… but was released two weeks before Strydom’s gruesome murder.

Suspected farm-murderer Jonathan Sekgone now denies it, but he allegedly told police after his arrest that he was ‘proud of what he had done.’He had accompanied police officers to the crime scene and described in detail the way in which Buffelshoek farmer Johan Strydom was tortured to death. Before Strydom’s murder, Sekgone was also arrested for the 13 March 2010  attempted murder of farmer B J Nortje on 13 March 2010. However Sekgone was released by the court on 29 March 2010. Strydom was murdered just two weeks later on 14 May 2010.

 Strydom Johan 40 ChainedToBakkieMay152010BuffelshoekParysBludgeonedIronRodDRAGGED_TO_DEATH Three black males are currently on trial for murdering 40-year-old Boer farmer Johan Strydom on 14 May 2010 -  the charge sheet alleges that the farmer’sStrydom Johan PotchBoerMurderSuspct JONATHAN SEKGONE_Feb282011 ankle was chained to his bakkie and he was dragged around his farm Modderfontein until his liver burst and his skull was cracked. On trial in the Potchefstroom court are Simphiwe Tueng, Soul Letsie and the ‘proud’ Jonathan Sekgone (right) .

 Trial-within-trial to determine whether Sekgone’s pointing out the crime-scene to the police would be legally admissable in court:

Beeld journalist Susan Cilliers quoted police warrant-officer Bonita Dry as testifying in the Potchefstroom court yesterday that suspect Jonathan Sekgone (pic right) had allegedly told arresting police officers that he was ‘proud what he had done’ when he was arrested. Sekgone was also arrested a month earlier --  but released pn 29 March 2010 again for the attempted murder of farmer B J Nortje, 58 – by allegedly firing a shot at the sleeping farmer through a window on the night of 13 March 2010, according to a statement on the SAPS news website by police spokeswoman A Smit, (tel 0182997269). Two weeks later, Strydom was murdered.

All three suspects denied guilt yesterday. The court heard that Mr Strydom, who lived alone, was ‘probably alive’ when he was being dragged around chained to his ankle. He suffered a burst liver, and his skull was crushed. The bakkie which was used to drag him around, his cellphone and his wallet were found in the possession of Letsie and Tueng and Sekgone’s finger prints were found at the crime-scene. Dry testified that she accompanjied investigating officer w/o Kevin Pretorius to the farm where they ‘obtained information from an informant which had led to Sekgone’s arrest.

  • “He gave his cooperation and made certain comments which linked him to the (Strydom) murder. He told us that it was not necessary to get a translator because he understood Afrikaans. He also said this in Afrikaans. We read him his rights and explained the charges for which he was arrested. He said he was ‘happy to show us where he did it and where it happened’.”

She testified that Sekgone also identified his two accomplices now standing in the dock with him. However after his arrest he obtained advice from his legal counsel to withdraw his earlier declarations. He claimed that he had taken police officers to the murder scene ‘under duress’, that he was ‘assaulted’ and that ‘certain elements of the details provided were not correct.” A trial-within-a-trial is now being held to establish whether his earlier statements and actions would be admissable as official evidence: Dry testified yesterday that Sekgone was not assaulted. Also testifying were the translator constable Jane Motaung and the officer who was present when Sekgone had pointed out the scene of the crime to the police, Lt.Col J C Scholtz. He testified that everything which was translated to him was read back to Sekgone at the time, and that Sekgone had ‘expressed his satisfaction’ with the process. Scholtz also testified that he had explained to Sekgone that the identification of the crime-scene was voluntary. The trial continues Friday. http://www.beeld.com/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Verdagte-se-glo-hy-is-trots-op-moord-20110302

Background:

Attempted murder of farmer B J Nortje on 13 March 2010: arrest of suspect Jonathan Sekgone on
Members of a Potchefstroom-based task team, under command of Capt Louw of the Potchefstroom Detective Service, arrested a 21-year-old man, w/o Jonathan Sekgone, for the attempted murder of a local farmer, Mr B J Nortje (58), on 21 March 2010. It is alleged that Sekgone fired a shot at Mr Nortje through a window as he lay sleeping in his bedroom on his farm on the night of 13 March 2010. Sekgone appeared in court on 23 March 2010 and was remanded in custody until his next court appearance on 29 March 2010. Source: Ms A. Smit Tel:(018) 299 7269 http://www.sapsjournalonline.gov.za/dynamic/journal_dynamic.aspx?pageid=414&jid=19308

 

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