Joshlin's mother was 'edgy, aggressive' when questioned by police, trial hears

The Western Cape High Court sitting in Saldanha heard on Wednesday that the mother of missing six-year-old Joshlin Smith's demeanour changed from calm to edgy, worked up and aggressive when one of the police officers, Capt Wesley Lombard, questioned her about a comment she had made earlier regarding her daughter's disappearance and whereabouts. 

Lombard, who is attached to the anti-crime kidnapping team under the Western Cape provincial organised crime unit, took the witness box on Wednesday and narrated to the court his interaction with Joshlin's mother, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, who is an accused in the case. 

Lombard told the court he had an independent interview with Smith after going through the statements that were in the docket. 

He had questioned her about why her two children had not gone to school. She disputed that it was because their clothes were dirty. However, Smith's boyfriend Jacquen “Boeta” Appollis, said they had not been well.

Smith further denied thatAppollis did not help with the search, and she had said something that shocked him.

Lombard said Smith told him “Joshlin is not in Saldanha any more and she must go on with her life because she’s got two other children”.

He told the court that he questioned Smith about this statement, but she could not give an answer or explain how she knew this information, simply saying: “My child is gone.”

He said she mentioned this information again later during the interview.

Lombard said he asked Smith: “How can a mother forget about her child in a few days and how can a mother talk like that? You say you are so heartbroken about your child, but you show no emotions.

“There are people outside who are giving up their time and resources to look for your child, but you are not showing any interest.”

Earlier, the cross-examination of a key witness was concluded.

Attorney Rinesh Sivnarain, representing Smith, closed off his cross-examination of former co-accused turned state witness Lourentia ‘Renz’ Lombaard by saying that another accused in the matter, Steveno Van Rhyn, told Smith that Lombaard was the last person to be seen with Joshlin, a claim she has dismissed as a lie. 

“The reason you are implicating Kelly is to save yourself. Kelly believes you and Ayanda [Letoni, Lombaard's boyfriend] are the masterminds ... Kelly will deny she acted in common purpose of another person or other accused,” said Sivnarain.

However, Lombaard argued that Smith is lying and that she and Appollis where behind the plan to sell Joshlin to a sangoma for R20,000.

The court heard that Lombaard had not seen her children for more than a year and is currently under witness protection.

Judge Nathan Erasmus told her to arrange with witness protection to have a telephonic conversation with her children and said he assumed the reasoning for the witness having panic attacks on the stand was due to her not receiving help for her drug use and she should seek assistance.

The trial continues on Thursday. 

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