South Africa - Anni Dewani, 28, shot to death, Gugulethu, 13 Nov 2010 #2

[PrimeSuspect]

Leigh-Anne Jansen ‏@LA_JANSEN 3m3 minutes ago
CM: Col. Els and WO Stefanus were present, along with myself and colleague, Reservist Ncogotwane.

RAHIMA ESSOP ‏@rahimaessop 2m2 minutes ago
Mellet: Zola Tongo was also with the cops, the driver of the hijacked vehicle.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Leigh-Anne Jansen ‏@LA_JANSEN 3m3 minutes ago
CM: There was a short black man with them. He later became known to me as Zola Tongo, the driver.

CM: While Els & Stefanus were busy with SD, I, together with Cyclops - that monitors cameras on the main routes.

CM: tried to establish if there was any footage of the crime scene by the time it might have occurred.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Leigh-Anne Jansen ‏@LA_JANSEN 34s34 seconds ago
CM: I contacted Cyclops

CM: I received the description, year & model of vehicle. Sent that to Cpt. Buys to radio a Code 6.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Nashira Davids ‏@nashhannibal 58s58 seconds ago
Cop testifying in Afrikaans then switched to English - interpreter confused...even Judge Traverso flashed a smile.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Leigh-Anne Jansen ‏@LA_JANSEN 1m1 minute ago
CM: One of the contract cellphones, that was with SD's wife, was a Vodaphone. With "cellfind", the last signal was Mfundizeni street in Khayelithsa. I sent that to my colleagues in Khayelitsha for them to search the street.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Leigh-Anne Jansen ‏@LA_JANSEN 1m1 minute ago
CM: I must have left the Cape Grace at about 02:10. I arrived at Harare police station at 02:30

Cross exam

 

[PrimeSuspect]

News24 ‏@News24 1m1 minute ago
Meller said Shrien did not say anything on the way to the hotel that made him suspicious of the taxi driver (Tongo)

Leigh-Anne Jansen ‏@LA_JANSEN 2m2 minutes ago
VZ: When were you asked to make a stm & when did you give the stm. CM: It was long after the incident.

VZ: Is that your stm? CM: That's correct. VZ: What's the date? CM: 12 October 2011

VZ: Almost a year after the incident. CM: That's correct.

VZ: You got all this NB info from SD. Did you consider this NB? CM: Correct. VZ: Did you make notes? CM: Correct.

RAHIMA ESSOP ‏@rahimaessop 1m1 minute ago
VZ now, hands up a statement taken on 12 Oct 2011 to the witness.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

News24 ‏@News24 3m3 minutes ago
VZ asks when CM made notes from his conversation with SD in the car. CM said he made them that night & kept them in his safe.

Leigh-Anne Jansen ‏@LA_JANSEN 3m3 minutes ago
CM: I personally handed my notes to Col. Barkhuizen (from the DPCI) and never received them back.

CM: When I have a chance, I make a summarised entry in my pocket book. That was the situation in this matter.

VZ: Can you please show us and I'll hand up a copy of notes from your pocket book.

EWN Reporter ‏@ewnreporter 1m1 minute ago
Mellet asked to read his the notes in his pocket book.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

EWN Reporter ‏@ewnreporter 47s47 seconds ago
Mellet reads: cyclops phoned at 01:45 to check Lansdowne road. Counseling arranged for Mr Dewani.

News24 ‏@News24 1m1 minute ago
Mellet's police notes are in English - he explains that all police notes in Khayelitsha are written in English.

VZ: Where are the notes from your pocket book because as I understand, you take notes, then summarise in your book.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Leigh-Anne Jansen ‏@LA_JANSEN 2m2 minutes ago
VZ: Now, answer the question.

VZ: Did you make a short summary in your book. Yes or No? CM: Yes. VZ: So please tell us where is the summary?

CM: Not every detail of our conversation is written in my pocket book. Only key points that help me refresh my memory.

VZ: Please read to us these key points.

Court adjourns for lunch

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Nashira Davids ‏@nashhannibal 8h8 hours ago
Interpreter gets into character - she not only interprets but mimics cop, counsel and judge's tone and even mannerisms

Percy Khaya James ‏@KhayaJames 8h8 hours ago
As court adjourns I thanked an interpretor who is here, full of enthusiasm, very versatile, expressive and very bold to boot.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

News24 ‏@News24 6h6 hours ago
Day 7 resumes. SA police sergeant Mellet is being questioned - he was on duty the night of the murder

Leigh-Anne Jansen ‏@LA_JANSEN 6h6 hours ago
VZ: I've made enquiries from my learned colleagues to make enquiries about the notes you're referring to.

News24 ‏@News24 6h6 hours ago
Mellet said Shrien did not remember the time the incident took place when he was interviewed by police at the station but on the way back to the hotel, SD was calmer in the car and Mellet was able to talk to him - he remembered the time then.

Nashira Davids ‏@nashhannibal 6h6 hours ago
The interpreter asked the cop to slow down: "You just said too much for me to translate!" Some comic relief in tense courtroom.

News24 ‏@News24 6h6 hours ago
Mellet is being grilled by VZ over the details of how SD was sitting in the car - how he could sit with his back to the driver?

Mellet: "Mr Dewani said to me that she (his wife) insisted they go to see the nightlife in the township for the last time"

Leigh-Anne Jansen ‏@LA_JANSEN 6h6 hours ago
VZ: No sir. Was he running, walking or jogging? CM: Let's leave it as jogging. I'm not a language expert.

EWN Reporter ‏@ewnreporter 6h6 hours ago
Mellet who is Afrikaans speaking said to him "requested" and "insisted" are the same.

VZ accuses him of adjusting his testimony to fit other statements.

EWN Reporter ‏@ewnreporter 6h6 hours ago
CCTV footage being shown in court from the Cape Grace hotel.

The footage shows Shrien walking through a passage at the hotel. VZ says this shows he wasn't running. Mellet agrees.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Leigh-Anne Jansen ‏@LA_JANSEN 6h6 hours ago
CM: What I got was that it was a hired cellphone. Gave all info with the hope that they will be able to trace her.

VZ: What did you have to do with the investigation? CM: I was not an Investigating Officer.

CM: If it was me, I would've asked repeatedly asked what police are doing to trace my wife.

News24 ‏@News24 6h6 hours ago
VZ said CM is trying to "create an atmosphere of suspicion" by saying Shrien was tense, nervous and sweaty. CM disagrees. Mellet says: "I could see that this man was traumatised"
CM - in his experience "people that are being robbed, whether it is a knife, a firearm or a hijacking...they injure everybody"
CM is explaining how he thought it was strange that Shrien was so clean and smart - most people are injured when robbed
Shrien nods as VZ says the accused didn't speak about his wife in the police car as he was severely psychologically damaged.

Leigh-Anne Jansen ‏@LA_JANSEN 5h5 hours ago
VZ: I want to say that your statement and evidence is broadly filled up with information you got somewhere else.
VZ:His version was that the driver was taken out of the vehicle at gunpoint. The rest of his version sounds right.

EWN Reporter ‏@ewnreporter 5h5 hours ago
Judge tells Mellet: the impression court gets is that you were reading from your pocket book? Mellet: yes.
Judge asks if there is anything written in his pocket book that doesn't appear in the court's printed out copy. Mellet says no.
Prosecution asks for an adjournment because they need time to set up for a demonstration in court. We continue tomorrow.
Mellet excused from the stand.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

News24 ‏@News24 5h5 hours ago
Questioning of Mellet over. Ballistic expert due as next witness in court tomorrow - prosecution asks for time to set up demo



All caught up, lol.

Court resumes tomorrow.

 

[newone]

Thanks PrimeSuspect for posting the tweets/twitters

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Thanks PrimeSuspect for posting the tweets/twitters

Thank you newone , it's starting to get quite interesting.

It's a tough call what will come of this trial, imo.

 

[newone]

Thank you newone , it's starting to get quite interesting.

It's a tough call what will come of this trial, imo.

after OP's trial will we ever view dissection of witness testimony without wincing? could feel my stomach tensing after reading VZ's comments in post #92......

I didn't know where to access tweets for this trial -- so I really appreciated your posts!

 

[PrimeSuspect]

News24 ‏@News24 2m2 minutes ago
Defence warns the judge that Shrien #Dewani has upset stomach and court may have to adjourn from time to time.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Leigh-Anne Jansen ‏@LA_JANSEN 24m24 minutes ago
All parties in the courtroom. Proceedings to resume shortly. A police ballistics expert to take the stand

The ballistics expert is Warrant Officer, Pieter Engelbrecht. Remember him from the trial of Xolile Mngeni

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Leigh-Anne Jansen ‏@LA_JANSEN 19m19 minutes ago
Proceedings resume

Van Zyl says SD has informed him that he has the same problem as the other day. May have to adjourn occasionally.

Engelbrecht is now on the stand

Court rehashing Engelbrecht's credentials, including training.

Engelbrecht observed forensic tests, conducted on Tongo's VW Sharan. Engelbrecht was asked to retest the exhibits ..ahead of the Mngeni trial in 2012. He tested the firearm, cartridge and fired bullet.

Engelbrecht conducted a trigger-pulling exercise.