×

We've got news for you.

Register on SowetanLIVE at no cost to receive newsletters, read exclusive articles & more.
Register now

Coligny pair guilty of teen's death

Coligny murder accused Pieter Doornward and Phillip Schutte have been found guilty.
Coligny murder accused Pieter Doornward and Phillip Schutte have been found guilty.
Image: Tiro Ramatlhatse

Two farmworkers on trial for killing a Coligny teenager after accusing him of stealing a sunflower head have been found guilty by the North West high court in Mahikeng.

Pieter Doorewaard and Phillip Schutte were taken to the police cells on Wednesday after the verdict in the trial that has been going on for over a year.

They were accused of killing Matlhomola Mosweu on April 20 2017 by throwing him out of a moving bakkie. The two told the court in their evidence that the sole witness in the case was not telling the truth when he said he saw them throwing Mosweu out of a moving bakkie. They said he instead jumped off the bakkie while they were driving him to the nearest police station.

Handing down the judgment, judge Ronald Hendricks said he found it unbelievable that the sole witness in the murder case, Bonakele Pakisi, had lied in his evidence.

Hendricks said it must have been rocket science for Pakisi to point out exactly the places other witnesses had pointed out and that his statement was also collaborative evidence of what had happened on that day.

“Think about it, Pakisi must have been very innovative to identify all the places where the incident happened. He could have easily testified about the initial place where the incident happened, this is almost rocket science,” he said.

Hendricks said Pakisi happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. He said the state had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt. The two were found guilty of murder, kidnapping, pointing of a firearm, theft and  intimidation. They will be sentenced on Thursday.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.