Montecasino accused admits to murder
THE ACCUSED who distanced himself from the murder of a man whose body was found in the boot of a car has made an aboutturn and admitted to the killing.
JP Malan initially denied he killed Dustan Blom and instead pinned the murder on his former lover and stripper, Maruschka Robinson.
Blom was drugged, robbed and killed two years ago.
His body was stuffed into the boot of his car and his killers went on a joyride in it. They used his credit card to buy items at various shops.
The killers parked the car with the body still in the boot at Montecasino in Fourways.
During the trial, they pleaded not guilty and blamed each other for the murder.
Malan was later found guilty of the murder while Robinson was found guilty of being an accessory after the fact.
However, just before he could be sentenced yesterday, Malan changed his tune and admitted to his probation officer that he had killed Blom.
Testifying in the high court sitting in Palm Ridge, Annette Vergeer said Malan had confessed to her while she was consulting him about a pre-sentencing report that would help the judge determine what sentence to impose.
She said Malan had initially lied to her about the events of that fateful day, but then told her he wanted to come clean.
Vergeer said Malan told her that he used to drug Blom. Once drugged, he would rob him.
However, that fateful night Blom suddenly woke up.
“He said he got a fright and did not know what to do, and he strangled him,” she said.
When the prosecutor, advocate Steve Rubin, asked why Malan wasn’t willing to take the stand and say that under oath then, as there was no law preventing him from doing so, Vergeer said: “At least he had the courage to come clean. How is that a crime? He is remorseful.”
Vergeer also disagreed with Rubin that Malan was manipulative. “If a person comes forward and says I’m sorry, it’s their prerogative to do so,” he said.
When Blom’s best friend Ryan Pickford testified during aggravation of sentence, he had also used that as an opportunity to look at Malan and beg him to come clean about the events of that day.
Pickford asked for permission to address Malan directly, then turned and looked at him.
“JP, it’s best if you look me in the eye. I’m here representing Dustan’s family and I’m asking you to put an end to this right now. Finish it for his family, for his two children and for yourself. Please come take the stand and tell us what happened, please,” he pleaded with Malan, who stared back at him.
Blom’s younger sister, Julie Padgett, told the court that his brother was his only sibling. They were young when they lost their mother to cancer and father to brain damage following a severe accident. They looked after each other during those difficult times, she said.
“The loss of my brother has left me shattered. JP and Maruschka decided to take my brother’s life. They thought it out and planned it. Hearing the sickening details of my brother being drugged, robbed and defrauded to then this cold, callous and calculated murder is impossible to come to terms with,” she said.
Sentencing is due tomorrow.