http://www.news24.com/SouthAfr...court-hears-20111205


Hunter fired in self defence, court hears
2011-12-05 21:17



Johannesburg - A man who shot dead two suspected illegal hunters on his father's farm seven years ago told the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Monday that he was defending himself.

Dyllan Douw de Beer, 19, and his father Douw de Beer, 51, of Boschkop pleaded not guilty to two charges of murder and a charge of theft.

However, Douw de Beer pleaded guilty to a charge of defeating the ends of justice by burning the victims' bodies.

Dyllan said in a statement he was hunting for impala on his father's farm in April 2004 when he saw a warthog and heard a rifle shot.

He saw that the warthog was heavily injured and quickly moved away.

Dyllan heard someone shouting and then a shot went past his ear.

He realised people were shooting at him and started running, but saw a man in camouflage clothing near the game fence on the farm.

The man started shooting at him and Dyllan, realising that he was in danger, fired two shots in his attacker's direction.

He started running home while shots were being fired at him.

Shocked


Dyllan said he was shocked and crying when he arrived home and told his father what had happened.

He and his father drove to the spot where the shots were fired.

There they found the dead warthog and saw two men lying next to the fence. Both men had bullet wounds in their chests. It appeared as if one bullet might have hit both of them.

While the Dyllan sat in shock in the bakkie, his father shot the dogs that were milling around, loaded the bodies onto the back of his bakkie and drove his son home.

In a statement, Douw De Beer said he was shocked on seeing the bodies and decided to burn them to protect his son, who was at that stage still a minor, from being arrested.

He later made a voluntary statement to the police about the incident because it bothered him.

De Beer said he realised he should rather have phoned the police because his son had been protecting himself.

The trial continues.


- SAPA

Little left of illegal hunters, court hears
2011-12-07 22:39



Pretoria - There was so little left of two men killed while hunting illegally that no proper funeral could be held for them, the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria heard on Wednesday.

This the testimony of Captain Nick Pitsoane, the investigating officer in the deaths of Morris Morua, 36, and Zacharia Leso, 34.

He said the only human remains found on the game farm of Douw de Beer, near Boschkop, outside Pretoria, in April 2004 consisted of 10 small bones.

This was not enough for a funeral.

De Beer, 51, and his 19-year-old son Dylan have pleaded not guilty to two charges of murder and a charge of stealing Morua's cellphone.

De Beer pleaded guilty to a charge of defeating the ends of justice by burning the bodies of the victims.

He said in a statement that he had been shocked on seeing the bodies and had decided to burn them to protect his son, who was at that stage still a minor, from being arrested.

Dylan admitted to shooting the men, but said in a statement that he had acted in self-defence because a group of illegal hunters had fired shots at him.

Pitsoane said he could find no trace of other people allegedly involved in the shoot-out.

He said a 9mm magazine found at the scene was traced back to Morua's registered 9mm pistol, but that the police could find no trace of the firearm, although they found ammunition in his safe.

They could also find no trace of Morua's cellphone, which was allegedly thrown into a dam.

Pitsoane said he was aware that hunting was allowed on tribal land near De Beer's farm, but that hunters first had to apply for permits.

Leso's nephew Poppy Leso testified that his uncle had told him he was going to look for cattle with Morua when he left home on his donkey cart that Saturday.

He later found the donkey cart outside a cattle camp, but his uncle never returned home.

Jacob Morua also testified that his uncle, who was in the army, had left in his camouflage uniform that day to search for cattle, but never returned.

Counsel for De Beer and his son said they would apply for a discharge on the murder and theft counts on Thursday.


- SAPA