Cop accused of murder testifies

He ran towards the sound of the gunshots.

Moments later, former Metro police officer Kelvin Pillay saw a bloodied man lying on the ground in the dark.

That is what the Western Cape High Court heard on Monday where Pillay, accused of murder, among other things, took to the stand.

Pillay, along with co-accused and former colleague, Tyrone Stewart also face charges of two counts of kidnapping, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and defeating the ends of justice.

A third Metro police officer, Jason February, has since died.

The men are accused of the murder of Ebrahim Davids, whom they apparently spotted running away while they were on patrol in Lavender Hill.

An earlier witness testified how she saw the Metro cops severely assault Davids.

Davids’s body was later dumped in a field next to Baden Powell Drive near Strandfontein.

But on Monday, Pillay told the court his version of events. He said when he heard the gunshots as he gave chase, he “did not know what was going on”. While he was armed with his service pistol, a 9mm Glock, he said he did not open fire.

“I proceeded to the front of the flat where I heard the shots come from. I saw a white vehicle parked almost against the flat. I asked February what happened and he pointed at the car but it was dark and I couldn’t see,” said Pillay.

He went on to say that February had not told him what he should be looking for.

“Constable February then handed his shotgun to Stewart and proceeded to the car. At that stage, I saw someone covered in blood,” he said, adding that the person was injured.

“I assumed we needed to get the person to hospital as soon as possible. After dragging the person, who was lying face down, February picked the person up and put him in the vehicle. I believed we were on our way to the Retreat Day Hospital,” said Pillay.

But while they were driving, February told the driver of the vehicle to stop. He said that February became “very erratic and aggressive” after the shooting incident.

“I didn’t know what to think because he told (one of the officers) Gail Jacobs to stop in the middle of nowhere. He told Stewart to take the top part of the body and he would take the bottom part.

“(February) then told me to hold the f*****g legs. He asked me (to do so in an) aggressive manner.”

“So why did you take the legs?” asked Pillay’s advocate, Michael Garce.

“Because of the events of the evening and so that (February) wouldn’t shoot me. I believe he was capable of anything,” he replied, adding that they then placed the person over the roadside railing.

He said he watched February wipe at blood on the railing.

Pillay said he later urged the other officers present to “pick up the injured person” they had left behind.

“But I can’t remember anyone responding,” he said.

The trial continues. - Cape Times

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