Daily Sun (June 8 2015) - SITTING IN the cop van, the suspect told Daily Sun that he broke into the house to steal and not to kill.
He said he had worked for the dead woman. He knew where everything was and he knew what he wanted.
THEN HE TOLD THE PEOPLE’S PAPER HOW HE CAME TO KILL HIS FORMER BOSS.
“My aim was to break into the main bedroom to steal a laptop and a PlayStation and sell them to make some quick money,” he sobbed.
“I didn’t think there was anybody in the house. But then I met Marleen in the passage. I wanted to scare her with an axe but when she screamed I decided to silence her.” The 28-year-old suspect told Daily Sun he had worked as a welder for 70-year-old Marleen Brits from the Niemandsland farm in Rust De Winter, Hammanskraal, Tshwane.
He had left her employ in February after working for her for four years.
The suspect allegedly set fire to the farm at about 5am on Friday and waited until he thought everybody had left the house to fight the fire.
Then he went into the house, armed with an axe.
While he was moving around in the house, he suddenly found himself face to face with Marleen as she came out of the bathroom.
The suspect allegedly assaulted the old woman and when she screamed for help, he hacked her with the axe until she collapsed.
The bedroom where he knew the electronic equipment to be kept was locked, so he turned the house upside down, looking for valuables.
He found R330 in cash and a cellphone, then he took the car keys and tried to drive away.
But the anti-theft device on the Toyota Tazz got activated and the car stopped at the gate.
The suspect pushed the vehicle back into the yard and fled the scene on foot.
Pierre Niemand, Marleen’s son-in-law told Daily Sun that he couldn’t believe Marleen was gone.
“She cared so much for the suspect. I don’t think it was poverty or unemployment that pushed him to commit such a terrible deed,” said Niemand.
Constable Herman Moremi of Temba police cluster told Daily Sun that the suspect was arrested and is facing charges of murder and house robbery after breaking into the house and hacking a 70-year-old woman with an axe.
Moremi said family members went back to the house after fighting the fire and found the woman lying in a pool of blood.
“The family tried to get her to hospital but she died before they could get there.
“They saw the suspect on the side of the road wearing blood-stained clothes and contacted the police. The man was arrested shortly afterwards.
“A cellphone and money were recovered.
“He is due to appear in the Moretele Magistrates Court soon,” said Moremi.
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