Coligny murder accused says taking teen to hospital 'illogical'

Coligny murder accused Pieter Dooreward and Phillip Schutte.
Coligny murder accused Pieter Dooreward and Phillip Schutte.
Image: Tiro Ramatlhatse

One of the two farm workers accused of the murder of a Coligny teenager Matlhomola Mosweu said he did not see the logic behind taking the severely injured boy to the clinic even after seeing him lying motionless on the ground.

Phillip Schutte, 34, said he did not notice any injuries on Mosweu after he and co-accused Pieter Doorewaard, 27, had allegedly pushed the teen off a moving bakkie. This was after the pair had allegedly caught Mosweu stealing a sunflower seeds at Rietvlei farm in Coligny in April last year.

Schutte told the North West High Court in Mahikeng on Wednesday that all he wanted to do was to go to the police station and report the incident as Mosweu was lying motionless on the ground.

“It’s not logical to take a seriously injured person and transport them to the hospital," Schutte said.

“I was afraid and did not have medical experience. I did not want to touch him because I could have made it worse.”

This was after the state prosecutor Dan Moeketsi asked him why he did not see it necessary to call the ambulance or take him to the nearest health centre after Mosweu fell off the bakkie.

Schutte and Dooreward maintained their story that Mosweu jumped off the moving bakkie while they were driving him to the police station after he stole the sunflower seeds.

Their testimony was in contrary to that of the sole witness in the case, Bonakele Pakisi.

According to Pakisi, the two threw Mosweu off their moving vehicle.

Schutte said he noticed a movement from the bakkie’s mirror but could not see what he was.

He said when he turned he saw that Mosweu was no longer at the back of the bakkie. He said they then drove a little at a curve and went back to see what had happened.

He said Dooreward got off the car and saw Mosweu lying on the ground with blood coming out of his mouth.

He said he then tried getting emergency number but after realising that he could not get it, they asked two passersby to look after Mosweu while they went to report the incident to the police station.

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