30/04/2013. Eyewitnes Thomas Chauke talks about the homeless teenager who was shot in the head by the 25 year-old boyfriend of a woman, whose handbag, celphone and iPad were snatched during a smash and grab incident yesterday morning. Picture: Thobile Mathonsi 30/04/2013. Eyewitnes Thomas Chauke talks about the homeless teenager who was shot in the head by the 25 year-old boyfriend of a woman, whose handbag, celphone and iPad were snatched during a smash and grab incident yesterday morning. Picture: Thobile Mathonsi
Pretoria - A 25-year-old architectural draughtsman from Garsfontein, who allegedly killed a homeless teenager after his girlfriend’s iPad was stolen in a smash-and-grab, told the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Thursday that he had no intention of killing anyone.
Johannes Theon Coetzee, who was granted bail of R5 000, said in an affidavit presented during his bail application that he would have been “the most moronic perpetrator” if he had intended to kill a person in the presence of police.
Coetzee faces a charge of premeditated murder and attempted murder after allegedly shooting a homeless teenager in the head on April 30.
He has yet to plead.
Coetzee was visibly stressed as his affidavit was presented to court.
He was supported by several family members, including his girlfriend, Lene Praeg, 20, in the public gallery.
Coetzee said in his affidavit that Praeg called him on the morning of the incident saying her iPad, phone and handbag had been snatched off the passenger seat of her car in a smash-and-grab incident.
Coetzee indicated that he immediately started tracking the signal of the iPad and followed it into a veld next to Garsfontein Road where the incident happened. It was close to where the couple live.
The court heard that Coetzee had called the police, who seemed “tardy”.
When he arrived at the scene and the police had not yet arrived, he stopped a passing a police van.
Two police officers accompanied him into the veld with the aim of recovering the stolen goods.
Coetzee indicated that he fired four warning shots into the ground during the search.
He said he was not sure if any shots were fired by the police officers as one of them had a gun.
Paramedics declared the homeless man dead at the scene, and Coetzee was arrested.
State prosecutor Sipho Letsoalo said the State was not opposed to bail as Coetzee had no previous or pending convictions and his address had been confirmed.
Although the State did not oppose his release on bail, advocate Zirk Pansegrouw, for Coetzee, indicated that his client was claustrophobic and would have to take medication should he be incarcerated.
The court heard that Coetzee and Praeg had been living together for the past two years.
Coetzee was the only breadwinner as Praeg was a student.
Pansegrouw also told the court that Coetzee was a valued member of a team at his place of employment, and should he be incarcerated he could lose his job.
Coetzee owned no properties and had no family members abroad.
Magistrate Aubrey Mphahlele said it was clear to the court that Coetzee did not intend to kill anyone and the charge of premeditated murder was amended to murder.
The case was postponed to next month, when Coetzee will appear in the Correctional Services Court.
His case was on Thursday transferred from the Correctional Services Court – for his first appearance – to the magistrate’s court as eNCA and Carte Blanche had asked permission to film the bail application, but they failed to cover it.
Pretoria News