Palm Ridge, Alberton - Rape and murder-accused Johannes Jacobus Steyn first took a prostitute to his house, but then left because he was worried his wife would come home, he told the court on Monday.
Steyn was telling the High Court, sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court in Alberton, about his movements on the day murdered teenager Louise de Waal was kidnapped.
He said on October 12, 2012, he called in sick at work and picked up a prostitute, because he was not sexually satisfied at home.
They first went to his house, but he felt guilty and was worried his wife would come home because they were making arrangements for their son's birthday.
Steyn said he removed the wedding picture from his room and the Bibles from next to his bed. “These were just things that bothered me personally.”
He said he then took the prostitute to an abandoned holiday resort in Hekpoort to have sex.
He said this would explain why his cellphone GPS placed him near where De Waal's burnt body was found.
Steyn has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder, 11 of rape, 10 of sexual assault, 10 of kidnapping, one of attempted sexual assault, and one of attempted kidnapping.
Steyn denied knowing De Waal.
“I do not know a Louise de Waal at all,” he said.
De Waal's mother, who was sitting in the public gallery, said:
“I don't believe it.”
Judge Sita Kolbe warned that if the court was disrupted again, proceedings would be held in camera.
De Waal's family attended the proceedings. They wore badges with a picture of her face. Members of rights group Women and Men against Child Abuse were outside the court building.
Steyn said he went home around noon on the day of De Waal's murder and picked his son up from school at 3pm.
He said he heard about De Waal's kidnapping on the radio and that police were looking for a silver bakkie. When he got home he saw police outside his house.
“I was scared to approach police with my son in the car... You hear stories about people being arrested and then they just leave the kids there.”
He said he took his son to a friend's house and phoned his wife and told her she should find out what was going on.
“I felt guilty about the thing with my wife 1/8the affairs 3/8 and decided to see a priest.”
He then decided to drive to KwaZulu-Natal. Once there, he tried to commit suicide before handing himself over at the Margate police station.
Anton Lerm, for Steyn, asked his client whether he knew the 11
victims, aged between 11 and 18, of the so-called “Sunday rapist”. Steyn replied he did not.
Asked why GPS co-ordinates on his phone always put him in the vicinity of their abductions, he said he had numerous affairs.
He said he often made use of prostitutes on the West Rand and around Pretoria. These locations coincided with where these girls were kidnapped, he said.
“I have my weakness with the opposite sex.”
Lerm asked Steyn if he had made any admissions related to these crimes to his ex-wife.
“I made no admissions to her,” he said.
During his testimony, Steyn said the reason he attempted suicide was because he was jailed once before and would do anything before going back.
Carina Coetzee, for the State, put it to him that he would kill someone else to avoid arrest.
“No, I would not kill someone else not to be arrested,” Steyn said.
A doctor, whom the State had been unable to find until now, also testified on Monday.
Lehlohonolo Letsi gave evidence on the sexual assault of one of the girls.
He confirmed that the then 16-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in February 2010.
“If it was not forceful, then (there) would not have been such bruises.”
Outside the court, Shereen de Waal, Louise's mother, said coming to court during Steyn's testimony was difficult.
“It's actually very tough to see him every time.”
The case was postponed to Tuesday. - Sapa