Johan Kotze’s co-accused, Andries Sithole, has denied helping to plan the rape of Ina Bonnette in Modimolle.
|||Pretoria - Johan Kotze's co-accused, Andries Sithole, has denied helping to plan the rape of Ina Bonnette.
“That's not true,” Sithole told the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday, when Kotze's counsel Piet Greyling put it to him that he planned the rape, as Kotze was in no condition to protect his now ex-wife.
Greyling had submitted to Sithole that his co-accused Pieta Mohlane and Frans Mphaka knew Kotze was emotional and tired on January 3, 2012, the day Bonnette was attacked in his rental house in Modimolle.
“I wouldn't know (if he was tired),” Sithole said.
He also denied Greyling's submission that the three of them did their planning inside the house while Kotze and Bonnette were outside talking.
Kotze is accused of mutilating and orchestrating the gang-rape of Bonnette, and of murdering his stepson Conrad, 19. At the time Bonnette was married to Kotze, but lived in her own flat.
Sithole, Mohlane, and Mphaka are accused of kidnapping, assaulting, repeatedly raping, and attempting to murder Bonnette.
Greyling said Kotze would deny Sithole's contention that he used his belt to close the door of a wardrobe in which Mohlane and Mphaka were hiding, when Bonnette entered the room.
“I testified what happened in that room because I was inside that room when it happened,” Sithole said.
Earlier, Judge Bert Bam said he would decide only after Sithole was cross-examined whether to allow the State to re-open its case.
On Wednesday, prosecutor Retha Meintjes indicated the State wanted to re-open its case to present evidence about Kotze's criminal accountability in rebuttal of testimony by defence witness Tertia Spangenberg, a clinical psychologist.
She had testified that she did not consider Kotze accountable for his actions. He dissociated during the attack, and suffered from a number of conditions including narcissistic personality disorder and major depression, she told the court.
The defence opposed the application.
On Monday, Greyling submitted Kotze would be financially drained if the court proceedings were extended.
He contended the State had made an informed decision when it failed to call clinical psychologist Dirk Coetzee, who assessed Kotze at Weskoppies psychiatric hospital, in Pretoria, before closing its case. - Sapa