Had coffin assault victim died‚ no one but accused would have known what happened‚ says prosecution

The prosecution in the coffin assault case has told the court that if the victim‚ Victor Mlotshwa‚ had been killed on the day he was forced into a coffin‚ no one else but the accused would know what happened to him.

Robert Molokoane said during the cross examination of one of the accused‚ Willem Oosthuizen‚ that Mlotshwa could have suffocated in the coffin.

Oosthuizen earlier testified in the attempted murder trial in the high court sitting in the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court and reiterated his statement‚ admitting that he and his co-accused‚ Theo Martins Jackson‚ placed Mlotshwa in the coffin.

Oosthuizen and Jackson are facing seven charges relating to the incident which was captured on video.

“If you had closed that lid‚ he would have suffocated... If Mr Mlotshwa was killed‚ no one would have known except you and accused number two (Jackson)‚” Molokoane said.

Oosthuizen said he would not have “closed the coffin completely” because they only wanted to scare Mlotshwa‚ whom they accused of stealing copper cables.

He earlier told the court that the coffin was brought to “scare” Mlotshwa because he had threatened to burn their crops‚ kill their wives and children if they took him to the police over the theft.

Oosthuizen said the coffin had been used before to scare off thieves from farms.

Molokoane referred back to one of the two videos before court. Both the accused recorded videos of the incident on their cellphones.

“In the video‚ I saw your booted feet kicking his arm. Mr Mlotshwa’s arm was outside the coffin because he was resisting‚” Molokoane said.

But Oosthuizen said he was not kicking Mlotshwa but pushing his arm into the coffin.

He said he did not know that he had broken the law by taking Mlotshwa to a secluded place where he was later placed in the coffin which was brought to the scene by Jackson. He also said he did not know that he broke the law by restricting Mlotshwa’s movement after apprehending him.

“It was not a citizen’s arrest‚” Molokoane said.

Oosthuizen and Jackson are facing charges of attempted murder‚ two counts of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm‚ kidnapping‚ intimidation‚ unlawful possession of a firearm and defeating the ends of justice.

The cellphone footage went viral on social media‚ causing widespread outrage.

Oosthuizen and Jackson are also accused of concealing evidence by allegedly burning the coffin either in October or November.

They have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The trial continues.

- SowetanLIVE