Cape Town - Thousands of Lutzville residents on the West Coast have petitioned the court to deny the bail application of farmer Christoffel Stoman, accused of mowing down a six-year-old boy with his bakkie.
Angry residents protested outside Vredendal Magistrate’s Court on Monday, as the 70-year-old man proceeded with his bail application.
Stoman is facing two counts of attempted murder and a charge of reckless and negligent driving after six-year-old Kwezi Jantjies was run over with a bakkie and both the child’s legs were broken.
It is alleged that Stoman saw the child trying to steal fruit from his farm.
Billy Claasen of the Rural and Farmworkers Development Organisation said the boy was walking with his mother Magrieta when they were hit by the bakkie.
His mother was not injured. The child subsequently underwent surgery to his legs and yesterday his mother joined Claasen in court where he read out a petition signed by more than 1,500 residents.
In the petition, residents said they were deeply concerned about the heinous crime, saying Stoman had no regard for human life.
“Stoman assaulted Kwezi Jantjies with his vehicle, demonstrating extreme disregard for human life. The boy remains hospitalised, facing a long recovery. In court Stoman showed no remorse,” said Claasen.
During court proceedings yesterday, Stoman’s legal team called his brother-in-law Alain Nicholas Grobelar to testify in his defence.
The 80-year-old retired cop testified that he visited the crime scene after the incident to take measurements for “interest sake”.
“He also took measurements in case the police did not take measurements at the scene,” said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila.
“He denied that he interfered to help his brother-in-law. He said that he was a former policeman and the law must take its course,” Ntabazalila said.
His wife, Magdalene, who was in the vehicle, also took the stand and the case was postponed to October 4 for her to complete her testimony.
Ntabazalila said Magdalene testified yesterday on the health challenges that she and her husband faced.
“They both have cancer and other sicknesses. She said that on the day in question they were driving back from an oncologist at Cape Gate and noticed the boy and his mother next to their property.
“The boy had his hand through the fence. She asked her husband to stop so that they could see what they were doing.
“The accused was driving, she was in the passenger seat and their grandchild was seated in the back.
“The injured boy was next to her (passenger side) while the mother was next to the driver’s side of the vehicle. The mother was not close to her child and she screamed that her child was under the vehicle.
“The wife repeated to her husband that the child was under the vehicle and asked him to reverse.
“They got out of the vehicle and the child was not under the vehicle.
“She told the mother that they needed to get help but the mother of the boy said they did not need help; she said she knew what she was going to do and they were going to pay. She picked up the boy and pulled him in the direction of Luztville.”
Cape Argus