Cape Town - The trial of David van Boven and Tasliem Ambrose continued in the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday, where a witness testified that the accused had pawned a ring that matched the description of the one that belonged to Jesse Hess.
Hess, 18, and her grandfather Chris Lategan, 85, were found dead in their Parow apartment on August 30, 2019.
Van Boven and Ambrose have been charged with with six counts of murder, rape, fraud or theft and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The State has accused them of assaulting Lategan and Hess, inflicting serious bodily harm and stealing rings, a bank card, a laptop, two cellphones and two TVs. It is alleged that they murdered Lategan and Hess by strangling them.
They are also accused of raping Hess and defrauding her by using her bank card to withdraw a sum of R100 at a Spar in Bellville.
Desmond Keyster took the stand to testify that Van Boven visited him on the day of the murder. Keyster said that Van Boven pawned the front of a car radio and a ring to his mother in return for cash, because he had run out of petrol.
Keyster testified that he later returned with R100 cash and the items were returned to Van Boven. He described the ring as silver with a blue stone.
During her testimony Sandra Hess said that when she arrived home that day after finding the bodies of the deceased, she went to the kitchen, where she found two extra cups on the table that had been used.
She found it suspicious because these cups were only used for visitors.
She also said that she noticed the silver ring with a blue stone which Jesse would normally leave on a coffee table in the kitchen, was missing.
The two accused have pleaded not guilty but Ambrose on Tuesday said that Van Boven was responsible for the incident. He said that he was with Van Boven on the day of the murder but was only involved insofar as Van Boven had instructed him.
“I complied because I was afraid for my life – having experienced what David is capable of. I attempted to flee from the flat but could not manage to. I deny that I assaulted any of the deceased in any way or raped the female deceased,” said Ambrose in a statement read out by his legal representative, advocate Christiaan Burger Brand.
Hess said she was relieved after her testimony, outside the court.
“It was very hard for us, it’s still hard for us because now after all this time everything has been reopened again, so you are reliving everything as if it happened the same day.
“But for me, I’m happy the trial has started, I’ve got all the confidence in advocate Van Wyk.”