Cape Town - Nearly three years after the brutal murder of equestrian show jumper Meghan Cremer, accused murderer Jeremy Sias entered the dock at the Western Cape High Court this week, where he faces a number of charges.
Sias, 29, is accused of the murder of Cremer, 30, on August 3, 2019, where he allegedly robbed her of personal items - R90 in cash, two cellphones, a bag containing her driver's license, an Ipad, bank cards and her motor vehicle - after assaulting her at Vaderlandsche Rietvlei Stables in Philippi.
Sias faces charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances, murder, defeating or obstructing the ends of justice and theft.
According to court documents, Sias allegedly assaulted Cremer by hitting her and strangling her with force before he took the personal items and then disposing of her body.
Cremer was reported missing after she had not arrived to work and days after her disappearance, she was found murdered with her hands tied up and a restraint around her neck.
Her body was found at a sand mine along Olieboom Road, Cape Town, on August 8, 2019.
According to court documents, Sias was a general worker who had been employed at the Vaderlandsche Rietvlei Farm, where Cremer also lived.
“On August 3, 2019, at approximately 5pm, (Sias) entered the cottage where (Cremer) lived. There Sias assaulted Cremer and strangled her. Sias then left with Cremer in the boot of her Toyota motor vehicle. Sias took various items stolen from Cremer, including her bank cards, cellphones, Ipad and handbag.
“Sias left the premises and drove around looking for a place to dispose the body. Sias dumped Cremer’s body at Olieboom Road, Philippi Farms. Sias took the bank card of Cremer and made several automatic teller machine withdrawals, and presented the card at various points of sale between August 3 and 5, 2019,” court documents read.
According to further indictment details, Cremer’s hands and feet were tied and her neck tightly wrapped with a “soft blue ribbon”.
Sias’ co-accused - Charles Daniels and Shiraaj Jaftha - have been charged separately for theft of a motor vehicle after they were found in possession of Cremer’s stolen car. They were charged separately after they could not be linked to the murder after Sias had enlisted them to sell the stolen vehicle.
Daniels and Jaftha had allegedly parked the vehicle at a location where it could not be detected by police, removed its registration plates, and when they had shown a potential buyer the vehicle, they could not present the car’s registration documents.
The matter continues.
Cape Times