Two more appear for Henning murder

Chanelle Henning and her four-year-old son Benjamin Henning. Picture: Supplied

Chanelle Henning and her four-year-old son Benjamin Henning. Picture: Supplied

Published Nov 18, 2011

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Another two men appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Friday in connection with the recent murder of a young mother in the Tshwane suburb of Faerie Glen.

This brings to five the number of people who have appeared in court after the murder of 26-year-old Chanelle Henning.

She was shot dead last Tuesday while driving home after dropping off her five-year-old son at a pre-primary school in Manitoba Drive.

Andre Gouws and Willem Pieterse have been charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, unlawful possession of a firearm and illegal possession of ammunition.

The case against them was postponed until Wednesday, when they will appear with Ambrose Monye, 37, Preshan Singh, 24, and suspended policeman Gerhardus Petrus du Plessis, 34.

Pieterse asked the court for a Legal Aid representative.

Monye and Singh appeared before magistrate Maryke de la Rey on Friday.

They complained, through their legal representatives on Thursday, that they had been assaulted by the police.

During their appearance on Friday, they confirmed that they had been taken to see the district surgeon as was instructed by De La Rey.

De La Rey ordered that Pieterse, Singh and Monye be held in the Pretoria Central Prison.

Shortly after Henning's murder, witnesses told the police that two men on a motorbike overtook her car and fired several shots. One hit her chest, fatally wounding her.

Her car continued moving for about 100m before crashing into a rock on the pavement.

Monye and Singh are expected to bring formal applications for bail on November 29. It is not clear whether the other three men will seek bail.

Henning's son was placed in foster care on Thursday by the Pretoria High Court.

Henning and her husband, Nico, had been going through an acrimonious divorce for the past three years.

Nico Henning was initially questioned by police following the shooting and police said at the time he was not a suspect.

Lieutenant-Colonel Katlego Mogale said on Friday he was still not a suspect.

She said she could not comment on media reports that Gouws had been a close friend of Nico Henning's for the past 20 years.

On Wednesday, Gauteng deputy police commissioner Major-General Nobesuthu Masiye said Du Plessis had confessed to being the one who had “pulled the trigger”.

She said Du Plessis, a detective constable stationed at the Hercules Police Station in Pretoria, had handed himself over to the police on Monday night.

He had been suspended two weeks before the Faerie Glen shooting for allegedly stealing two murder dockets.

The Beeld newspaper reported on Friday that a 20-year-old man appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Thursday for stealing the weapon that was allegedly used to kill Henning.

According to the report, Deon Schoeman was alleged to have stolen the gun in February before apparently selling it. It was not clear to whom he sold the weapon. – Sapa

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