Road-rage murder accused blames cop

A MOTORIST who shot and killed a biker in an apparent road rage incident in Johannesburg last year has accused one of the police officers who attended the scene of not wearing gloves when handling evidence.

Meekahaefele Masooa of Centurion is on trial in the South Gauteng High Court sitting in the Randburg Magistrate ’ s Court facing a charge of murdering Douglas Pearce, 39, on Malibongwe Drive on February 14 2014. Masooa has claimed that he acted in self-defence after Pearce cursed him with a hand gesture and threatened him with a gun.

Police officers who attended the scene testified in court yesterday that they arrived to find Pearce ’ s body covered with a space blanket. They also found a motorcycle parked in front of a white car.

The police officers told the court that they recovered several items including two firearms, rounds of ammunition and two holsters.

Constable Solly Masinge said, when he arrived, Masooa was in an ambulance. He said Masooa had sustained a minor injury on his forehead. “It did not appear to be a bullet wound,” Masinge said.

Constable Ndivhudzannyi Mbolawa told the court that when she arrived, police officers stationed at the Douglasdale police station handed her items they said they had found on the scene.

She said she recorded the items on a police form which accompanied the bags they were put in.

Masooa ’ s lawyer, Sabelo Dingiswayo, told Mbolawa that his client would testify that she was not wearing gloves when she took the items from the police officers.

“The accused says you were not wearing gloves and you handled the firearms recklessly,” he said.

Mbolawa said she would not comment on whether Masooa saw her or not. “He must tell me where he was when I got there.”

The trial continues.