Dewani: Spotlight on ballistics evidence

Cape town-141022-The Ballistic expect Warrant officer Pieter Engelbrecht leaving the Western Cape high court after he was on the stand in case of Shiren Dewani-Picture by Bheki Radebe

Cape town-141022-The Ballistic expect Warrant officer Pieter Engelbrecht leaving the Western Cape high court after he was on the stand in case of Shiren Dewani-Picture by Bheki Radebe

Published Oct 23, 2014

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Leila Samodien

Justice Writer

THE evidence of a police ballistics expert came under intense scrutiny at the Shrien Dewani trial yesterday with the defence taking him to task over measurements he had taken.

Warrant Officer Pieter Engelbrecht was testifying in the Western Cape High Court about his investigation to determine the trajectory of the bullet that killed Swedish-born Anni Dewani, as well as the possible position of the shooter.

Anni’s British husband Shrien Dewani stands accused of orchestrating her murder while the newlyweds were on honeymoon in Cape Town four years ago.

She was killed in what the State believes was a simulated hijacking on the night of November 13, 2010.

Her body was found in an abandoned vehicle, a VW Sharan, the next morning.

According to Engelbrecht, he had recently examined backrests from the seats of the vehicle after receiving the exhibits on September 15.

He had concluded that Anni’s wounds, along with a defect in the backrest of the rear seat, were the result of a single gunshot that had been “fired from the front of the deceased (Anni) to the back of the vehicle”.

Engelbrecht had also visited Goodwood Prison on October 17 when he had measured the arms of one of Anni’s killers, Xolile Mngeni.

This was followed on October 20 with a probe into different possible shooting positions.

When it came to where the shot had been fired from, he found that the probable position would have been from the “front left” of the car.

Under cross-examination, Engelbrecht appeared uneasy on the witness stand as advocate Pieter Botha, for Dewani, fired questions at him.

Engelbrecht confirmed that after conducting these further examinations, he was not able to say where the shooter was positioned.

Botha then told him that at the trial of Mngeni in 2012, he had testified under oath that he was of the opinion that the shooter had been seated in the left front seat of the VW Sharan. “How were you able, as an expert witness, to give that opinion evidence under oath when on your own version, you didn’t have any basis to say so?” asked Botha.

Engelbrecht was also cross-examined about measurements he had taken of the vehicle. Engelbrecht acknowledged that when he’d examined the vehicle, the back seat had been replaced.

He was further questioned about tests conducted with a test car. Botha asked him whether, after looking at crime scene photos, he had positioned the seats of the test car as they had been in the VW Sharan. Engelbrecht said they had kept the seats in a “normal sitting position”.

Western Cape Deputy Judge President Jeanette Traverso asked Engelbrecht about such measurements being of “the utmost importance” and “exact” in order to come to certain conclusions, such as where the shooter had been.

Engelbrecht confirmed that they were.

The trial continues on Monday.

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