Witness ignored feelings of remorse
|Published
Lester Moody, 19, who is serving a prison sentence under a plea bargain reached after he confessed to being part of the killing of Kirsty Theologo in October 2011, is seen prior to a testimony at the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, 23 April 2013.Theologo, 18, was doused with petrol and set alight on a hill behind the Linmeyer swimming pool in an alleged satanic ritual killing in southern Johannesburg, in October 2011. She died a week later at the Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital. Her friend, who was 14-years-old at the time, was also burnt, but survived. A second accused, Jeremy King, also entered into a plea bargain with the State in an attempt to get a lesser sentence. Four other accused, Lindon Wagner, Robin Harwood, Harvey Isha, and Courtney Daniels, have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, attempted murder, and assault to cause grievous bodily harm. Picture: Werner Beukes/SAPA Lester Moody, 19, who is serving a prison sentence under a plea bargain reached after he confessed to being part of the killing of Kirsty Theologo in October 2011, is seen prior to a testimony at the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, 23 April 2013.Theologo, 18, was doused with petrol and set alight on a hill behind the Linmeyer swimming pool in an alleged satanic ritual killing in southern Johannesburg, in October 2011. She died a week later at the Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital. Her friend, who was 14-years-old at the time, was also burnt, but survived. A second accused, Jeremy King, also entered into a plea bargain with the State in an attempt to get a lesser sentence. Four other accused, Lindon Wagner, Robin Harwood, Harvey Isha, and Courtney Daniels, have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, attempted murder, and assault to cause grievous bodily harm. Picture: Werner Beukes/SAPA
Johannesburg - The High Court in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court heard on Thursday how one of the men who set a girl on fire in an apparent satanic ritual, ignored his feelings of remorse during the ritual.
Lester Moody was testifying against four people accused of setting Kirsty Theologo and her friend on fire in an alleged satanic ritual.
Lindon Wagner, Harvey Isha, Courtney Daniels and Robin Harwood, have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, attempted murder and assault to cause grievous bodily harm.
“How long after running from the mountain did you start feeling sorry?” advocate Enrico Guarneri asked Moody.
“From the time she said she trusted me,” Moody replied.
On Wednesday Moody had told the court how Theologo had said something to him before the girls were set alight.
“I didn't really hear her but at a later point she got the chance to say she trusted me. She looked at me,” he had said.
“Was that the remorse playing when you said you should go back to finish her off?” asked Guarneri.
Moody said he had wanted to go back to the top of the hill to get a cellphone and not to finish Theologo off as said.
He told the court Wagner had talked about going back to kill Theologo.
“Well that's the first we hear of that,” said the advocate.
Judge Geraldine Borchers then asked Moody if he would have gone back to kill Theologo as well as to get the cellphone.
He agreed.
“But how remorseful is that?” she asked him.
“It's not that I didn't feel guilty. When she said that I backed off but when she was hit with a rock, it was too late to turn back.”
Borchers then asked if at that time his feelings of remorse went away.
“No, I just ignored them.”
He said after Wagner hit Theologo with a big rock, Robin Harwood asked him to stop what they were doing.
Moody told the court that Wagner then pulled his knife out and held it in a stabbing position and told Harwood : “It's too late to stop now.”
Earlier, he told the court how the ritual was initially based from Revelations 17 but satanic elements were later included.
He said a satanic star was added to the plan the day before the ritual. It had been Daniels' idea to include it and the group had agreed.
“The idea that we would cut our hands was Lindon's idea,” said Moody.
He said the group panicked when they were told Theologo was regaining consciousness. She had been drugged with brake-fluid, which had been slipped into her drink.
“It wasn't as simple as we thought it would be,” said Moody.
Earlier, he was aksed about the Bible verse that had initially inspired the ritual.
“You got the idea of burning the prostitute and eating her flesh, stripping her naked, from Revelations 17?” defence advocate Guarneri asked Moody.
“Yes,” he said.
“Did Kirsty represent a great prostitute ruling over the kings of the world,” Guarneri asked.
“Yes,” responded Moody.
“Yes? And what city was she ruling over?” he asked.
“Johannesburg,” Moody responded.
Guarneri asked Moody to show the court where it was written in the verse that one should drink blood.
Moody glanced at the photocopied verse, printed by the State prosecutor from the internet, and told the court he could not find it.
“It's not there,” he told Guarneri.
“Not there? See, the other day you recited it to the court and included the drinking of blood,” Guarneri said to Moody.
“You see, its very peculiar that in the Bible, it says nothing about drinking blood,” he sid.
Cross-examination continues on Friday. - Sapa