Man accused of murdering 1-year-old Orderick admits to ’wrong decision’

Alleged child killer Melvin Volkwyn File picture: Monique Duval

Alleged child killer Melvin Volkwyn File picture: Monique Duval

Published Apr 15, 2021

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Cape Town – Murder-accused Melvin Volkwyn has admitted to a “wrong decision” he had made when he took slain 1-year-old Orderick Lucas with him to a drug house to buy a mandrax tablet, the day before the toddler’s disappearance.

This emerged in the Western Cape High Court yesterday as Volkwyn was questioned by Acting Judge Nolundi Nyati after he gave his testimony in court earlier this week.

Nyati questioned Volkwyn about why he had taken the toddler from the home of State witness Eon Adams where he was in a “protected environment” and watching cartoons and eating homemade chips.

“It isn’t such a safe environment. Everybody comes there and smokes and Orderick isn’t used to staying at Adams’s place,” said Volkwyn.

According to Volkwyn, he had taken Orderick as it was “getting late”.

Adams previously testified that Davidene Lucas, Orderick’s mother, had left the boy in his care while she attended to trouble over a stolen cellphone.

The defence yesterday called witness Jonathan Alexander, who testified that Lucas “was not a good mother”.

According to Alexander he befriended Lucas when both of them were teammates for drum majorettes, however their friendship deteriorated when he noticed how she took care of her children.

“(I noticed that) she wasn’t a good mother to her children. She started stealing things and betrayed me many times. When she went to do sex work, I would look after her twins. I didn’t like what she did,” said Alexander.

Alexander also testified how he witnessed Lucas falling with Orderick in her arms after allegedly smoking a mandrax pipe.

State prosecutor Mornay Julius again objected during court proceedings as the defence led evidence to the character of Lucas who was being painted in “bad light and character”.

Defence attorney Susan Kuun retorted the court was dealing with circumstantial evidence to corroborate testimony given during the State’s case and to test credibility of witnesses, so as to give the accused a “fair trial”.

The matter continues today.

Cape Times

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