Husband link in Henning hit

Chanelle Henning's estranged husband, Nico, yesterday emerged as a suspect in her murder.

Investigating officer Captain Petrus van der Spuy told the Pretoria Magistrate's Court that Nico Henning phoned his close friend, Andre Gouws, three days before his wife's murder.

Chanelle Henning, 26, was gunned down after dropping off her son at a Montessori pre-school in Faerie Glen, east of Pretoria, on November 8. She was killed two days before the start of a custody battle with Nico in the Pretoria High Court.

The court heard yesterday that Gerhardus du Plessis and Willem Pieterse - who have been sentenced to 18 years - overheard the call because it was on a speaker phone.

The man on the telephone said: "The bitch has the baby this weekend," Van der Spuy recounted in court.

He said Gouws, who was the only link to Henning, allegedly pointed out where the young mother lived and worked, and the school her son attended.

The call was made on November 4 and Gouws postponed the hit, meant to have been made at the weekend, to Monday.

Van der Spuy said phone records revealed the call had been made from Nico Henning's cellphone.

Gouws was Nico's close friend and had attended the couple's wedding.

Former policeman Du Plessis, 34, who admitted to shooting Henning, and Willem Pieterse - who drove Du Plessis to the pre-school - were sentenced on December 14.

Preshan Singh, 24, said to have provided the gun that was used in the murder, was released on R5000 bail in November.

Ambrose Monye, 37,who allegedly ordered the hit, abandoned his bail application when his supporting witness refused to testify.

Gouws's bail application was opposed by the state because he was a "danger to society and had no regard for the law".

Van der Spuy told the court of a meeting between Du Plessis, Monye, Pieterse and Gouws at which the phone call was received and plans to kill Henning were made.

He said R10000 was paid by Gouws into Monye's account a month before the murder.

"We found the bank deposit slip in his possession."

He told the court that Gouws had no regard for the law. He had hired people to kill a business partner but the murder was not carried out.

He was also the only suspect in an arson case in which his bowling club was burned down a few weeks after he received an eviction order. A case of intimidation is pending against him.

Gouws claimed he was assaulted by prison guards and prisoners who called him a woman-killer and feared the abuse will continue if he stays in jail.

Van der Spuy said the police expected to make more arrests.

The five have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.