Courtroom drama shook the city in 2015

1 Mbombela’s own Robin Hood costs Londolozi R10,3 million
The trial of Wade Williams (30) proved that reality can be stranger than fiction. On November 17, the city’s so-called Robin Hood was sent to jail for 30 years for stealing R10,3 million during the strangest attempted heist Mbombela has seen in years. He was dubbed as such after claiming that he wanted to steal from the rich and give to the poor, blaming capitalism for South Africa’s problems. This first-time criminal’s 19-step plan of action described how he would commit the perfect crime. Williams stuck to the plan by kidnapping his employee, Mr Dave Dampier on the eve of April 4.

Williams forced the reserve’s online access codes out of Dampier. He transferred millions to his own account, set the reserves archives on fire, and drugged and tried to kill Dampier. After failing at murder, he was unable to proceed with the rest of his plan, which entailed feeding Dampier’s body to the crocodiles. He raced to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport from where he planned to flee to Kenya, but his plan flopped again. He was arrested while driving in the city’s industrial area.

2 Johan Heunis guilty of Michelle Curgenven’s (36) death

On April 17 the Eastern District Circuit High Court ruled that traffic official Johan Heunis (58) had shot and killed Ms Michelle Curgenven (36) accidentally. Judge Mr Peter Mabuse’s finding shocked many who had been following the case since Curgenven’s death on July 4, 2013. Heunis’ version of what happened that day, was explained in court in November last year. He said he had been visiting Curgenven at her home, when he decided to commit suicide with his service pistol. She was sitting in the driver’s seat of her vehicle and he was in the passenger’s seat when he held it under his chin. She pushed it away and the bullet was discharged which fatally wounded her.

Ballistics expert Capt Christiaan Mangena testified that this was not probable for a number of reasons. He said the amount of gunpowder on Curgenven’s clothing suggested that the gun was held against her body when she was shot, that the bullet’s trajectory proved that she was looking directly in front of her when she was shot and that her right arm was positioned parallel to her side. Therefore, she was not trying to remove a gun from Heunis’ chin. Mabuse found him guilty of culpable homicide. He will be sentenced on April 19 next year.

3 Scissors-case man walks free after seven years

Mr Francois Steynberg was found not guilty of slitting the throat of a seven-year-old girl with a pair of scissors in 2008. Magistrate Ms Kgamu Shai accepted that Steynberg couldn’t be held liable for what he had done during an alcohol- and dagga-induced “blackout”. The state will appeal Shai’s decision. Steynberg was arrested shortly after the victim was rushed to Rob Ferreira Hospital op December 8 that year. A doctor’s report recorded a seven-centimetre slit across her throat that revealed her trachea.

In November last year, psychologist Dr Susanna Myburgh testified that Steynberg acted strangely and aggressively under the influence of alcohol. She made this conclusion by feeding him 750 millilitres whiskey during an “experiment”. Myburgh could not provide the court with a full written report of her experiment, nor had a doctor facilitated it. Nonetheless, it was good enough for Shai, who found that Steynberg could not be found liable for his actions on that day due to non-pathological criminal incapacity. Although the outcome of the case delivered a tough blow to the victim’s family, Lowvelder gathered that the girl has grown into a lovely 14-year old. According to her mother, she is doing well in school, making friends and holding her own.

4 Elaine Wedderspoon and the R12 000 generator

This year treated Elaine Wedderspoon better than 2014 had. Thanks to the police’s mishaps, the theft case against her disappeared from the Nelspruit District Court’s court roll for months. Wedderspoon was charged with the theft of a generator worth R12 000 in November 2014. This followed two previous convictions where she had been found guilty of theft totalling R38 000.

According to complainant Ms Hilda Vos, the two women were scheduled to mediate the generator theft in court one afternoon. Wedderspoon claims that she thought the case had been mediated, whereas Vos says Wedderspoon never showed up. A warrant for her arrest was authorised. “Where’s Wedderspoon” ensued. On April 10, she didn’t show up for her court appearance.  By May 21, she had still not been arrested. On June 22 Lowvelder reported that she had finally been arrested. Three weeks later, a policeman failed to appear in court with the docket and the case against her was struck off the roll. While Wedderspoon attributed her freedom to the Lord’s forgiveness, Vos blamed it on police tardiness. She was livid. Last week Vos said the case against Wedderspoon had been reinstituted. Whether the case will continue, remains to be seen.

5 Alleged fraudster Poole a free man

Over the past two years, Derek Poole has been accused of committing fraud in Mbombela, Hazyview and Gauteng. He has missed a court appearance here and there, which led to various warrants of arrest being issued in his name.

What made headlines, was his consequent imprisonment for the duration of his theft trial in Johannesburg. Nine months and a guilty plea on a theft charge later, he was released from the Alexandra prison on June 26. He received a suspended sentence and was ordered to repay more than R200 000 to the complainant.

6 Penryn principal pleads not guilty to possessing child pornography

Two years after police had arrested  Mr Neil Malherbe as part of Operation Spade, he pleaded not guilty to possession of child pornography in the Nelspruit Regional Court on July 16. The former principal of Penryn Preparatory School in White River had been arrested as part of Operation Spade, an international investigation involving authorities from various countries.

Of the seven South Africans charged, Malherbe was the only one who maintained his innocence.  When his case resumed in October, the validity of the search warrant in terms of which his home was searched, was questioned. If found invalid, he may soon be a free man.

7 Beloved timber farmer, Mr Paul Mason’s wife testifies

In July and August, disturbing testimony delivered in the murder trial revealed how he had died on their Kruisfontein Farm in Sabie on October 3, 2013. His wife, Gwen, and assistant Mr Johannes Mathebula, survived to recount that morning’s horrible events in the Eastern District Circuit High Court. They testified against Zimbabweans Mr Fortune Charumbira Mpofu, Mr Innocent Bangy Ncube and Mr Tackler Happy Ndlovu, who face charges of murder, robbery and assault. Mathebula was the first to be approached by a group of men.

He was taken to an outside bathroom and his hands and feet were tied up whereafter he was robbed. The men allegedly then shot and killed Paul before overpowering Gwen. According to her testimony, they demanded money and coins from her before tying her up in the house’s bathroom and ransacking the home, stealing belongings worth R150 000 to R200 000. Mpofu, Ncube and Ndlovu denied having committed any crime. Upon enquiry, the Eastern District Circuit High Court could not confirm when the case was scheduled to continue.

8 Victor Wilkens’ case withdrawn, Ms Amanda Joubert still recovering

The withdrawal of the attempted murder case against Victor Wilkens, shocked many. Ms Amanda Joubert evaded death after falling from Wilkens’ Hillside Manor balcony on January 16, 2014. He was arrested and charged in connection with the incident on February 10, 2014 and released on R3 000 bail three weeks later. Joubert spent two months in Mediclinic Nelspruit’s intensive care ward after the fall, followed by two months in a rehabilitation centre. In the year and 10 months that the case against him had been pending, she has had 11 operations.

She is preparing for her 12th one, which will apparently not be her last. Amanda has not been able to work again and has trouble walking. Her mother, Ms Celia Potgieter, has quit her job to take care of her daughter at home. She also suffered serious brain injuries, resulting in medium- and short-term memory loss. Amanda, the only witness in the trial, was not medically fit to testify against Wilkens as a result of her injuries. Specialist state advocate Ms Ansie Venter, however, said that Joubert’s condition had improved since the fall. “If it improves sufficiently, enabling her to testify, the charges against Wilkens will be reinstituted,” she told Lowvelder.

9 Ms Pinky Strydom testifies in the Nelspruit Regional Court

Ms Pinky Strydom, one of White River’s most well-known residents, testified in detail how two men had attacked her in her home a year ago. She bravely looked them in the eye and testified that it was Mr Steve Seerane and Ms Milton Masuku who had dragged her from her vehicle and assaulted her with an axe.

“Accused number two throttled me,” she said, indicating towards Seerane. Masuku took hold of her feet. The two men dragged Strydom through her home and locked her up in a small, dark room.  She testified that repeating Psalm 23 had kept her alive. Her grandson discovered her two days later, badly injured and dehydrated. Strydom was commended for her brave, strong testimony against the two accused. The case will continue on March 31.

10 Initiation-school sangoma gets 17 life sentences

In a judgement that attracted nationwide attention, Johan Jabulani Mlombo was found guilty of 17 counts of rape in August. This followed after 21 girls aged from nine to 18 testified that he had sexually violated all of them in a two-hour period. Mlombo had abused his position of power to gain sexual pleasures from the girls enrolled at his initiation school.

It was testified that he had taken their virginities and scarred their souls for life. The girls alleged that his partner, Ms Sister Mapalesa Khosa had assisted him in the rapes. Judge Ms JJ Strydom found otherwise and she received a suspended sentence for assault.