Murdered teen planned to live in Cape Town

Cape Town 15-01-2013 Charmaine Mare (16) her mutilated corpse was found in a Kraaifontein field on Monday 14-01-2013 cops arrested a suspect after they swooped on a house in Windsor Park picture Supplied

Cape Town 15-01-2013 Charmaine Mare (16) her mutilated corpse was found in a Kraaifontein field on Monday 14-01-2013 cops arrested a suspect after they swooped on a house in Windsor Park picture Supplied

Published Feb 27, 2014

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Cape Town - Slain teenager Charmaine Mare was to have lived and worked in Cape Town, her alleged killer told the Western Cape High Court on Thursday.

Johannes Christiaan de Jager, 49, testified that he and his girlfriend at the time Carol White were told that her daughter Kristen and her friend Mare were going to stay with them permanently in January 2013.

“Kristen was going to attend school here. At first, Charmaine also wanted to attend school here but the school did not accept her,” De Jager said in Afrikaans.

“Then it was suggested she must come to Cape Town to look for a job. She was going to stay with us.”

De Jager has pleaded not guilty to killing the 16-year-old Mpumalanga resident in January last year. He has also denied raping and killing prostitute 18-year-old Hiltina Alexander in Cape Town in May 2008.

De Jager said he had never met or spoken to Mare before she arrived with Kristen on January 3 last year.

His lawyer Sakkie Maartens asked if he had had a problem with her staying in the house that White owned, especially considering he and his girlfriend were alone beforehand.

“No, not at all,” he replied.

The court heard the move to Cape Town was badly timed because White had already booked a cruise for herself, Kristen, and De Jager's son Nick, departing on January 7.

This meant that De Jager had to stay behind because Mare was in the house.

He testified that he and Mare dropped the family off at the harbour that Monday morning and he spent the rest of the day working on a car in his garage, while Mare stayed in Kristen's room.

He cooked dinner that evening and they ate together at the dinner table.

He said he asked her to watch television with him because staying in the bedroom was surely boring. She complied for a while and then returned to the room.

That evening, he said he did not make any sexual advances.

Maartens asked if she made any attempts to find a job.

“After Carol left, attempts were made. The neighbour came from across the road and said U-Save is looking for a worker. I went to the manager and arranged with her that Charmaine would be there for an interview on Tuesday morning.”

De Jager's testimony will resume on Monday.

Sapa

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