Defence grills police over missing entries in Jayden-Lee Meek murder investigation

The attorney for murder-accused Tiffany Meek attempted to poke holes in the State's case during the fourth day of her bail application in the Roodepoort Magistrate's Court. 

Meek, 31, from Fleurhof, is accused of killing her 11-year-old son Jayden-Lee Meek.

She also faces charges of crimen injuria, attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice, and defeating or obstructing the administration of justice. 

Meek was arrested on July 11 at her mother's home. 

Her son was reported missing on May 13, and his body was found a few hours later near his home. 

Her defence lawyer, Noven Naidoo, started his cross-examination of the investigating officer. 

Naidoo asked the policeman about Jayden's clothing during his cross-examination, citing that the teacher, Tiffany, and the security gave conflicting statements of what Jayden had been wearing the day he disappeared.  

“My client will state that she helped him get dressed that morning, and he was wearing grey long pants, a white shirt, a tie, and black takkies on the day,” Naidoo submitted. 

The police sergeant said he could not really comment on what the child was wearing as those details were given to police by people who had seen Jayden-Lee on the day. 

The court was also given copies of the complex’s occurrence book (OB) of May 13 and May 14. 

The copies before the court showed that an entry of Jayden-Lee’s disappearance was only entered after 8pm, by the nightshift guard. 

Naidoo directed the police sergeant’s attention to missing entries in the book. 

“The accused will state she went to the security guard (day shift), and an entry was made in the OB. She gave him her phone number. This was after 5pm. She said she was going to walk to the shop, and if Jayden comes back, he must contact her telephonically,” Naidoo submitted. 

“There is no record of this in the OB,” the investigating officer responded. 

Naidoo continued to grill the police sergeant about an alleged missing page in the book and claimed that on May 14, the day that Jayden-Lee’s body was discovered, Meek and her family wanted to take a photo of the OB but saw the missing page. 

The investigating officer admitted he had failed to certify the copies before court, stating the volume of work made him overlook this. 

He was also grilled on the nationality of the security guards. When he told Naidoo the guards were Congolese nationals, he was asked if he knew their immigration status. 

“No, I do not. I work for the SAPS,” the police sergeant responded. 

The matter continues. 

Cape Times