An 18-year-old battled to control his emotions as he testified in the Cape Town regional court how fashion boss Mark Lifman allegedly indecently assaulted him almost six years ago.
Towards the end of proceedings on Tuesday, the complainant said that he wanted to conclude his testimony. He reluctantly accepted magistrate Amanda Lucas's decision to have the matter postponed until on Tuesday.
The Sandrift youth, who cannot be named, was questioned by Lifman's attorney, William Booth, for about three hours, with a 10-minute break, at his request, and a 30-minute lunch break interrupting his testimony.
State advocate Piet Steyn led evidence-in-chief in less than 30 minutes.
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'Lifman's house looked like a hotel' Booth probed the youth with specific questions regarding his statement and what he had told the court had happened during a meeting with Lifman.
The witness told the court that he lied about two things in his written statement and did it because he was angry with Lifman.
But on further cross-examination he mentioned things that were not in his statement which included how he met Lifman and who was with him the night he arrived on the accused's doorstep.
The complainant did not know where the accused lived but said it was close to the sea and there was a putt-putt course nearby. He said Lifman's house looked like a hotel.
He said he was with two of his friends, who were brothers, one of whom was Lifman's alleged self-confessed pimp, who testified at the start of the trial.
In September, Lifman pleaded not guilty to seven counts of indecent assault of boys aged 12 to 19, the attempted murder of his alleged self-confessed pimp and defeating the ends of justice.
The youth said the brothers had told him that Lifman "plays with children for money".
He said his mother's car needed wheels and that they had no money.
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