Dad on trial after killing of ex-girlfriend five years ago
A BISHOP Lavis man accused of killing the mother of his child in 2017 has appeared in the Western Cape High Court.
Wayne Lawrence is charged with 12 counts, including, among others, murder, attempted murder, assault, domestic abuse, kidnapping, reckless endangerment, and pointing a firearm.
It is alleged that Lawrence shot and killed Angela Marinus, then 35, his former girlfriend with whom he shared a child, on December 11, 2017.
According to court documents, Lawrence had been in a commonlaw relationship with Marinus, living together for eight years before she moved out of their home in October 2017 and started living with her parents in Montevideo.
Court documents read: “The accused was unable to accept the deceased ending their relationship and moving out of their home. He constantly harassed the deceased, physically and verbally abused her, and begged her to return.”
Further allegations by the State contend that Lawrence harassed Marinus throughout the month of her departure.
This led to Marinus obtaining a protection order from the Bishop Lavis Magistrate’s Court on November 19, signed by Lawrence two days later.
It is alleged that Lawrence violated the protection order and continued to subject Marinus and their child to further abuse by threatening and intimidating them using a legally-owned firearm.
The pistol, the State alleged, was procured by Lawrence through false means as he had lied on the application form. At a family outing on December 10, he pointed the pistol at Marinus.
The next day, while Marinus and their daughter sat in her car parked outside her parents’ home, Lawrence allegedly came to the car and shot Marinus.
Lawrence fled the scene and was arrested on December 13.
A post-mortem exam conducted on Marinus showed the cause of death to be “gunshot wound to the chin”.
The trial continues.