Accused denies killing girlfriend

Lebogang Mosikare | Thursday May 7, 2015 15:59

Instead Dominic through his lawyer Kgololesego Segabo said that his girlfriend died after falling on a piece of railway metal following a misunderstanding. Segabo said the accused pushed the deceased as he tried to free himself from her after she grabbed his private parts.

Detective Constable Masego Lephole told the court that when the police arrived at the scene, they found the deceased in a pool of blood and took her to Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital where she was certified dead.

Under cross examination, the police officer admitted that she did not take good pictures at the crime scene because of inadequate light, lack of resources, and that they were unable to secure the crime scene.

“I admit that it was impossible to take every picture at the crime scene because of lack of resources like torches. We were using light from the police vehicle that was parked outside the one-roomed house where the crime took place,” she said.

“It was vital to secure the crime scene to make sure it was not contaminated but we did not do so although it was vital. It was an oversight on my part,” said Lephole in response to Makhwade. Another officer, Detective Sergeant George Morebodi corroborated Lephole’s statement adding that they did not find the accused at the crime scene.

Under cross-examination from Segabo, Morebodi said that he could not remember everything that they found inside the house, including a piece of metal that the defense lawyer claimed was used as a doorstopper.

Segabo asked him that as Lephole’s senior at that time was it not prudent for his junior to tell him she experienced shortage of equipment which hindered her to properly carry out her duties.

In reply Morebodi said that Lephole did not tell him that she was having a shortage of equipment but nonetheless said that it was his duty to make sure that they were well equipped when they went to the crime scene.

He also said that the scarf that the deceased was wearing on her neck when they arrived at the crime scene got lost at Tatitown police station.

“I also confirm that as an investigations officer, I got information that the deceased and accused were last seen in a jovial mood when they left the accused’s place to the deceased’s place to sleep,” said Morebodi.

Segabo told Morebodi that they were on a mission to coerce his client to admit to the offence but the police officer denied ever threatening the accused to confess to the killing.