‘Cop feared someone used his gun’

THE night a Bethelsdorp man was shot dead in front of his young niece, a policeman now charged with his murder had told a colleague he feared his service pistol had been misused.

Sergeant Marcelle Geldebloem said yesterday that the murder-accused cop, Constable Walter Francis, had woken him up shortly before 11pm on October 26 2014.

“He said he thought he was in trouble,” Geldebloem told the Port Elizabeth High Court.

Geldebloem, who is stationed at the Humewood police station, said he had known Francis from when he first joined the station as a student policeman.

“Occasionally we worked together. We had a good work relationship. Other members also complimented him on being a hard worker,” Geldebloem said, responding to questions by state advocate Jason Thysse.

Francis, 33, Enzo Kroates, 22, and Clement Kogana, 29, are charged with murder following the October 2014 drive-by shooting of 23-year-old Denton Rademeyer.

Francis faces an additional charge of contravening the Firearms Act after it was alleged his service pistol was used in the fatal shooting.

Rademeyer was shot in Kakora Road at around 8pm while walking home with his eight-year-old niece.

About three hours later, Geldebloem was woken up by several phone calls from Francis. Geldebloem asked to see him. “I went outside [my house] and climbed into the back of the vehicle parked outside. [Francis] said he thought his state firearm had been used,” Geldebloem said.

Francis reportedly told Geldebloem that he had been drinking with friends and forgot his firearm at the place where they had been drinking.

“When he eventually got it back, he could smell [the gun] had been used.”

Geldebloem said he told him to report his suspicions immediately.

All the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The trial continues today.