Murder accused had escaped earlier

The man accused of killing Blue Water farmer Jason Winrow in 2017 escaped from the back of a police van a year earlier after police took him into custody for suspected stock theft.

Odwa Ntlangani, 33, allegedly killed Winrow, 41, of Mooiplaas near East London, in July 2017. He is also facing charges of attempted murder after allegedly attacking farmer Adelaide Kapa, 82, in 2016.

Stock theft, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and robbery with aggravating circumstances are also on the charge sheet.

The person who killed Winrow shot him, while in Kapa’s attack all four fingers of her right hand were sliced off, leaving only the thumb.

State witness sergeant Bulelani Metu, testifying in the high court in East London, was the first officer to arrest Ntlangani.

He told the court that on August 6 2016, he and a colleague followed information from Winrow complaining about stock theft in April 2016.

“He [Winrow] said he was at the gate [outside] of Lynmar farm [Kapa’s farm]. The accused was also there,” he said.

Metu said Ntlangani introduced himself as the caretaker of the farm, but this did not sit well and so he was arrested.

Metu said Ntlangani admitted to him that cattle belonging to Winrow were loaded onto a truck on August 5.

In testimony on Wednesday, farmer Derick Venske said he bought 10 cattle from Ntlangani and later discovered that the stock had been stolen from Winrow.

Metu said: “The accused said to me the cattle were bought by Venske and we went to Venske’s farm. While there, he called us to the side and said he had something to tell us. He informed us that he paid R47,800 to the accused and that a week before that, Ntlangani sold cattle to another farmer.”

While they were at Venske’s farm, Ntlangani was kept in the back of the police van.

Metu said Ntlangani then escaped from the back.

Under cross-examination from Ntlangani’s lawyer, Bharat Hansjee, it was put to Metu that Ntlangani would say he escaped from the police van because he was scared.

“Ntlangani will say you didn’t warn him about his constitutional rights,” Hansjee said.

Metu answered: “I told the court about this, that I informed him of his rights and handcuffed him.”

But Hansjee continued with this line of questioning.

“He will say he didn’t say the things you say he did — that the cattle were never loaded into a truck, sold to Venske and there was no stock theft . ... He will say he felt threatened.”

Metu said he would be “amazed” if that was the case.

State prosecutor Zukile Mdolomba told the court he was struggling to locate his witness, and requested a postponement, which was granted by judge Thembekile Malusi.

The trial continues on Friday.