Sword killer accused admits cover-up

After testifying on Wednesday, double murder accused Jayendran Sewnath flashed his middle finger at the media. Picture: Noelene Barbeau

After testifying on Wednesday, double murder accused Jayendran Sewnath flashed his middle finger at the media. Picture: Noelene Barbeau

Published Jul 4, 2014

Share

Durban - Samurai sword double-murder accused Jayendran Sewnath has conceded he committed an offence by helping his former co-accused clean a crime scene and conceal evidence.

Sewnath, who was being cross-examined on Thursday, described how he cleaned the blood off the walls and floor of Adrian Veeran’s house in Chatsworth.

He detailed before a full gallery at the Durban High Court, how he helped to toss Kevindran Naidoo, 25, and 22-year-old Sebastian Chetty’s bodies over the fence.

State advocate Vera Alamchand, questioned Sewnath, 36, on why, despite several opportunities to do so, he did not try to get help.

She put it to Sewnath that he did not want to acknowledge he made a mistake.

“If you really wanted to come clean, you would have done so the first time (Veeran) left you alone,” said Alamchand.

Sewnath kept responding that he was confused and did not want to rush to his family, but think about it first.

He had earlier testified about wanting to go see his parole officer to tell him what happened.

He also said when he contacted his sister to ask her to go with him, she had told him the police were at his girlfriend’s house looking for him.

On Thursday, Sewnath said he had been thinking about going to his parole officer

“A normal person thinking about going for help, would have acted on this thought. You didn’t,” said Alamchand.

Sewnath has pleaded not guilty to killing Naidoo and Chetty with a samurai sword and robbing them of their gold jewellery, cellphones and R5 000 cash.

Veeran, 34, is serving two life sentences for the murders from August 2011. He pleaded guilty shortly after his arrest and was also sentenced to 20 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances, which is running concurrently with the life sentences.

He said Naidoo owed him money after buying a television set from him and that he and Sewnath had plotted to rob Naidoo.

When Naidoo arrived at the house with Chetty to pay the money he owed and to also buy two more television sets, the men were lured, one at a time, into the house and killed.

Sewnath had testified that he was not at the house at the time of the killings because he had left to smoke two mandrax tablets at a “den” nearby. When he returned he saw the bodies.

Yesterday, he said Veeran gave him R5 000 for helping him to clean the house and get rid of the bodies.

He said Veeran brought out sheets and they wrapped each body in a sheet and carried the bodies out of the house, one at a time, and threw it over the fence at the back of Veeran’s house.

He said Veeran put the bloodied clothes and the sword, which belonged to Veeran, into a packet and also threw this over the fence.

“Adrian used the deceased’s car to go to the garage to buy cigarettes. He left while I was cleaning the floor and he helped me when he returned. I then rinsed the cleaning cloths we used,” said Sewnath.

Alamchand put it to him that he assisted Veeran to conceal evidence and that he was committing an offence.

Sewnath agreed.

After cleaning, he said they jumped over the wall and dragged one of the bodies towards the freeway and deeper into the bush.

When they came back to do the same with the second body, they were interrupted when Veeran’s wife arrived.

The men were later arrested at Veeran’s aunt’s house in Merebank shortly after selling Naidoo’s jewellery.

Alamchand said when Sewnath was arrested, police found R10 000 in his pocket.

Sewnath denied this and also denied receiving a share of the jewellery sale.

Alamchand referred to Sewnath taking the police to the crime scene and how he pointed out exactly where in the bedroom each man was slain.

She put it to him that the only way he would know exactly where the men died was if he was there.

Sewnath denied this, saying Veeran told him where he killed the men.

The trial continues.

[email protected]

Daily News

Related Topics: