Cape Town - Willem Frederick John Coetzer murdered gay night club owner Bruno Bronn, and his two co-accused were “framed”, the Western Cape High Court heard on Tuesday.
Coetzer is in the dock with Fareez Allie and Achmat Toffa, and all are charged with premeditated murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
They have pleaded not guilty to both counts, before Judge President John Hlophe and assessor Jaco van Reenen, a retired chief magistrate.
Cited as accused number one in the trial, Coetzer was subjected to intense cross-examination, first by Arno Nell, for Allie, and then Henry van Niekerk, for Toffa.
Bronn was strangled at his Sea Point home on Monday night, February 6, 2012.
Coetzer, who was a bouncer in Bronn's gay night club, The Bronx, claims that he visited Bronn that Monday night to discuss problems concerning traveller's cheques.
He alleges that, during the visit, he was in discussion with Bronn at the outside guest room, when Allie suddenly appeared.
Allie allegedly handed him a firearm, with the words, “keep him (Bronn) there, and keep him quiet”, while Allie went into Bronn's home.
Bronn took fright at seeing the firearm, and tried to struggle past Coetzer in order to follow Allie into the house.
To restrain Bronn, Coetzer grabbed him by the neck, and as they both struggled they fell to the ground.
Coetzer denied that he had had a sexual relationship with Bronn.
Van Niekerk said Toffa went to the deceased's home on the night of the murder to drop Coetzer there.
“Toffa says you framed him and Allie, and the only reason why you wanted them there that night was so that the police would find their finger prints there, thereby placing them on the scene,” he said.
“All the State witnesses have said that you had a sexual relationship with the deceased, and all said they knew about arguments that you had with him, and all said that you intimidated him.”
Coetzer replied: “They are all lying.”
The trial would resume on April 14.
Sapa