The accused denied giving the police permission to search his home and claimed that he was assaulted by the police
THE WINDSORTON murder case was postponed until next year, after Acting Northern Cape High Court Judge Willem Coetzee ruled yesterday that the evidence obtained by the State during a search and seizure operation at the home of the accused, Michael Pieterson, was admissible.
Coetzee did not provide any reasons for allowing the evidence to be presented before the court, although he indicated that it may be provided, if necessary, at a later stage.
Pieterson, 35, is standing trial for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Kantse Mokgele, and their 11-month-old baby, Neo Elias Mokgele.
The bodies of the deceased were burnt beyond recognition and were found by a passer-by concealed in the veld near Windsorton on May 12.
Pieterson has denied any involvement in their deaths and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
He will remain in custody until his next court appearance, which has been scheduled for February 17-21, 2020.
A trial within a trial was heard this week after the defence argued that the evidence obtained by the State was not done in a procedural manner.
The accused denied giving the police permission to search his home and claimed that he was assaulted by the police.
The police arrested Pieterson after they found wet clothes with suspected blood on them inside his shanty, along with an All Star takkie that they discovered on the roof of his home in Hebron Park. The takkie’s shoe print was similar to a shoe print that was found at the crime scene.
The floor of Pieterson’s shanty was wet and muddy when the police arrived at his home.
While Pieterson maintains that he told the police where to find the All Star takkie on his roof, the State prosecutor, Advocate Ronewa Makhaga, pointed out that the police found the evidence on their own accord, without any assistance from the accused.
Due to the unavailability of the State witness, Captain John Seeley from the SAPS Search and Rescue unit, who was attending to other official duties yesterday, the matter was postponed as it is also the end of term of court for the year.
