Murder was never discussed - Henning accused
|Published
09/07/2013. Andre Gouws smiles before taking to the stand during the murder trial of Chanelle Henning at the Pretoria High Court. Picture: Masi Losi 09/07/2013. Andre Gouws smiles before taking to the stand during the murder trial of Chanelle Henning at the Pretoria High Court. Picture: Masi Losi
Pretoria - One of two men accused of plotting the murder of Chanelle Henning told the High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday he never discussed the murder with anyone.
“I never talked to anyone about a murder,” Andre Gouws said.
Henning, 26, died in a drive-by shooting in Faerie Glen on November 8, 2011, shortly after dropping off her child at a creche.
Andre Gouws and his co-accused, former Nigerian Olympic athlete Ambrose Monye, have pleaded not guilty to five charges relating to an alleged conspiracy to murder Henning.
The State alleges that Monye and Gouws conspired with former policeman Gerhardus “Doepie” du Plessis and Willem “Pike” Pieterse (alias Tattoo).
Du Plessis and Pieterse are serving 18-year prison terms after confessing to their roles in the murder.
On Wednesday Gouws resumed his testimony about his relationship with Chanelle's estranged husband Nico Henning. He told the court Henning had taken financial strain after his wife's murder.
“I heard things were not going well now due to all the bad publicity. He was a man of means before the murder.”
On Tuesday, Gouws told the court they were good friends, and that Nico Henning had asked him to find someone to watch his wife to see if she used or bought drugs.
They were getting divorced and fighting for custody of their child.
He said a psychologist's report suggested it was possible Chanelle Henning used drugs. Gouws told the court he then approached his co-accused Monye, who he said was involved in the drug world.
Gouws said he broadly explained Nico Henning's situation to Monye and said they needed proof of his wife's drug use.
According to Gouws, Monye arranged for two men on motorbikes to follow Chanelle Henning. She was then killed. Gouws was later arrested in Nelspruit. - Sapa