Bag with stolen loot was given away‚ 'coffin assault' trial hears

Crucial evidence which would have supported allegations that the so-called “coffin assault” victim had stolen copper cables was nowhere to be found.

One of the accused‚ Theo Jackson‚ on Thursday told the High Court sitting in Middelburg that Victor Mlotshwa’s bag containing the rolls of stolen copper cables had since been given away.

“I gave it to one of my employees‚” Jackson said.

He is one of two men who filmed themselves forcing Mlotshwa into a coffin and threatening to douse it with petrol as he cried and begged for mercy.

The incident occurred near the Komati Power Station in August 2016.

Despite having taken pictures and a video of Mlotshwa during the incident‚ Jackson said he did not think of taking pictures of the stolen copper that Mlotshwa was allegedly found with.

“We had already scared him. I did not have any reason to take a picture of the cable‚” Jackson said.

Prosecutor Robert Molokoane questioned whether Jackson was aware he had committed a crime by giving away suspected stolen goods.

“I don’t know‚” he replied.

Mlotshwa’s version however‚ was that he had not stolen anything or done anything to provoke an attack from Jackson and his co-accused‚ Willem Oosthuizen.

He claimed to have been waiting to hitchhike to Middelburg when he was suddenly attacked and accused of stealing.

They forced him into a coffin‚ threatened to put a snake in it and douse it with petrol. Mlotshwa said they had told him they would shoot him if he tried to run and that he had told them what they wanted to hear in order to save his life.

Oosthuizen and Jackson‚ however‚ claim they put him in the coffin in order to scare him after he threatened to burn their crops and kill their wives and children if they took him to the police.

They then drove Mlotshwa to a secluded area where the coffin incident unfolded.

“You said you followed [Oosthuizen] in his bakkie‚ do you remember that? Mlotshwa was at the back‚” Molokoane asked.

“Correct‚” Jackson said.

“The reason why you did that was to ensure that he does not escape from the back of the bakkie. Why?”

“Because had he jumped out of the bakkie‚ he would have fallen‚” Jackson replied.

“How were you going to make sure that he is present when you return with the coffin?” Molokoane said‚ referring to the few minutes when Jackson detoured to go and fetch the coffin from his boss’s office.

“[Oosthuizen] was driving fast enough that if Mlotshwa were to jump out of the bakkie‚ he would have been left injured‚” he replied.