Girl was scared of De Jager court told

Cape Town -

Johannes de Jager reported Mpumalanga teenager Charmaine Mare missing on the same day he allegedly murdered her, the Western Cape High Court has heard.

Constable Nozibonele Mnxeba testified on Monday that De Jager and three others went to the Kraaifontein police station on January 11 to report her missing.

At the start of the trial De Jager said he had pulled Charmaine and she had slipped and fallen, hitting her head against the bath. He hid her body in a municipal drain, but was unable to pull her out two days later until he had cut off her limbs.

The State alleges that De Jager killed Charmaine, 16, after she rejected his sexual advances.

De Jager is also on trial for the May 2008 murder of prostitute Hiltina Alexander, 18.

Charmaine went to Kraaifontein on January 3 to live with her friend Kristen White and Kristen’s mother, Carol, because things were tough back home, Carol White testified on Monday.

But months previously White had booked a four-day cruise for herself, Kristen and De Jager’s son, Nick, from January 7. Charmaine stayed home with De Jager, White’s live-in boyfriend.

White told the court that De Jager met the family after their cruise at about 9am on January 11, and while driving home Kristen received messages from Charmaine’s cellphone number. In one message, Charmaine said De Jager was sitting next to her and that she was scared. She also said he had tried to sleep with her.

White confronted De Jager, but he denied it, saying he last saw Charmaine before he left for the harbour. Once at home White went looking for Charmaine.

By 7pm that day De Jager, Kristen, Nick and a neighbour went to file the missing persons report. Mnxeba testified that De Jager provided the information, and signed each page.

But Sakkie Maartens, for De Jager, said his client supplied limited information to the police and that he had to refer to Kristen for most of the details.

Lieutenant-Colonel Willem Rademeyer gave evidence about a Kraaifontein estate agent who told police that Charmaine had asked him for money to go back home because “she was scared of the man she was staying with”. The agent refused, but gave her his cellphone number so she could contact him if she felt threatened.

Two days later, Charmaine’s scorched torso was discovered in an open field near the Kraaifontein shooting range. Her limbs were missing.

On January 15, detectives seized De Jager’s Ford Mustang and Charmaine’s cellphone that was found inside a pocket of De Jager’s leather jacket. He was arrested the same day.

The trial continues on Tuesday.

jade.otto@inl.co.za

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